Telephone review after minor oral surgery

Area of Science:

• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Healthcare Management
• Patient Outcomes

Background:

• High rates of non-attendance at outpatient clinics for minor operations were observed.
• A 30% failure to attend rate for review appointments post-minor surgery was identified at Cardiff Dental Hospital.

Purpose of the Study:

• To reduce patient non-attendance rates for post-operative review appointments.
• To evaluate the effectiveness and cost-efficiency of a telephone review system.

Main Methods:

• A telephone review system was implemented for patients undergoing minor operations, primarily lower third molar removals.
• Trained nurses used structured questionnaires to assess post-operative symptoms like numbness, pain, and swelling.
• Patient outcomes and costs were compared between telephone review and traditional clinic review.

Main Results:

• 90% of 1020 patients booked for telephone review were discharged.
• Only 10% of patients required a clinic review due to reported complications.
• Telephone review cost an estimated £3.05 per patient compared to £23.55 for clinic review.

Conclusions:

• Telephone review significantly reduced clinic non-attendance rates (OR=0.88).
• This system facilitates efficient audit of post-operative complications.
• Combining telephone review with clinical follow-up for complications offers cost-effective patient care.