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Related Experiment Videos

Reasons for after-hours calls.

David E Hildebrandt1, John M Westfall

  • 1Rose Family Medicine Residency, 2149 S. Holly, Denver, CO 80222, USA. hildebrd@rfmr.com

The Journal of Family Practice
|July 9, 2002
PubMed
Summary
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This study analyzed 1 year of after-hours calls to a family practice residency. A small group of "high utilizers" accounted for a significant portion of calls, highlighting a need for targeted interventions.

Area of Science:

  • Family Medicine
  • Healthcare Management
  • Patient Communication

Background:

  • Previous research on after-hours calls focused on limited durations and specific aspects like demographics and satisfaction.
  • Understanding the patterns of calls is crucial for optimizing healthcare resource allocation and patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the frequency and nature of after-hours calls to a family practice residency over a full year.
  • To identify common reasons for after-hours calls and characterize patient utilization patterns.

Main Methods:

  • Data collected from answering service logs over a 1-year period.
  • Information included caller/patient details, date, time, and chief complaint.
  • Analysis focused on call frequency, complaint types, and identification of high-utilizing patients.

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Main Results:

  • The five most frequent chief complaints were related to medications, pain, obstetric issues, fever, and nausea.
  • A small cohort of 56 "high utilizers" (0.6% of all patients) generated 23% of the total calls.
  • This indicates a disproportionate call volume from a subset of patients.

Conclusions:

  • After-hours calls to family practices are driven by specific common complaints.
  • A small percentage of patients significantly contributes to the call volume, suggesting potential areas for proactive management.
  • Further research into the needs of high-utilizing patients is warranted to improve care and resource efficiency.