IMPROVING AFTER-HOURS CALLS TO ENDOCRINOLOGY FELLOWS

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• After-hours calls to on-call fellows present a challenge for efficient patient care.
• A significant portion of these calls may not require immediate specialist attention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the frequency and nature of after-hours calls received by endocrinology fellows.
• To implement interventions aimed at redirecting appropriate care to primary endocrinologists and reducing nonurgent calls.

Main Methods:

• On-call fellows logged and categorized after-hours calls as urgent or nonurgent.
• Interventions included patient education on call deferral, provider training for prescription refills, and fellow education on call management.
• Call data was analyzed before and after intervention implementation.

Main Results:

• Initial logging showed an average of 1.61 calls per 24 hours, with 47% nonurgent.
• Post-intervention, call frequency decreased to 0.64 calls per 24 hours, with 51% nonurgent.
• The majority of calls were related to insulin and testing supply refills.

Conclusions:

• A substantial number of after-hours calls to endocrinology fellows are nonurgent and can be addressed during regular business hours.
• Implemented interventions show promise in reducing unnecessary calls and improving overall care.
• Ongoing efforts focus on enhancing physician and patient satisfaction and optimizing patient care delivery.