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Is nurse-led telephone follow-up for post-operative obstructive sleep apnoea patients effective? A prospective
Hussein Walijee1, Salil Sood1, Anne Markey1
1Department of Paediatric Otolaryngology, Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust, East Prescott Road, Liverpool, L14 5AB, UK.
Insights
A nurse-led telephone follow-up service for pediatric sleep disordered breathing (SDB) and obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) surgery is effective and safe. This approach ensures high parental satisfaction and efficient patient management.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Otolaryngology
- Sleep Medicine
- Healthcare Management
Background:
- Surgery for sleep disordered breathing (SDB) and obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is common in children.
- Post-operative follow-up is crucial for assessing recovery and identifying complications.
- Traditional follow-up methods may lead to unnecessary clinic visits for uncomplicated cases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of a nurse-led telephone follow-up service for pediatric SDB/OSA surgery patients.
- To assess patient and parental satisfaction with this novel follow-up model.
- To determine the safety and efficiency of nurse-led telephone consultations in managing post-operative outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Prospective observational study involving children under 16 undergoing adenoid and/or tonsil surgery for SDB/OSA.
- Post-operative outcomes assessed using the T-14 questionnaire six weeks after surgery.
- Parents evaluated their experience with the nurse-led telephone follow-up service.
Main Results:
- A total of 535 patients were included; 430 were discharged after telephone follow-up with a mean T-14 score of 1.0.
- 105 patients required in-clinic review with a higher mean T-14 score of 6.88.
- Only 6.7% of patients had ongoing SDB/OSA symptoms, and 100% of surveyed parents reported satisfaction with the telephone service.
Conclusions:
- Nurse-led telephone follow-up is an efficient and safe strategy for pediatric SDB/OSA surgery.
- This service effectively reduces unnecessary clinic visits for stable patients.
- It provides a vital safety net for children experiencing persistent post-operative issues.
Objectives:
To assess the effectiveness and patient satisfaction of a nurse-led telephone follow-up service in children following surgery for sleep disordered breathing (SDB)/obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) in a tertiary paediatric hospital.
Design:
Prospective observational uncontrolled study.
Participants:
Children under the age of 16 undergoing adenoid and/or tonsil surgery between June 2015 and June 2018 for SDB or OSA. Parents were contacted by telephone six weeks post-operatively by an ENT nurse specialist. The T-14 questionnaire was utilised to assess post-operative outcomes. Parents were subsequently asked to evaluate their experience of this nurse-led telephone consultation service between June 2016 and April 2017.
Results:
535 patients were included with an average post-operative T-14 score of 2.13 (95% CI 1.7-2.5). 430 patients were discharged following the nurse-led telephone consultation with a mean post-operative T-14 score 1.0 (95% CI 0.8-1.2). 105 patients were subsequently reviewed in clinic with an average T-14 score of 6.88 (95% CI 5.25-8.51). 36 (6.7%) patients had ongoing symptoms of SDB or OSA. 55 parents were invited to provide an evaluation of the nurse-led telephone FU clinic, which showed a 100% satisfaction rate with the service.
Conclusion:
A nurse-led telephone follow-up service is efficient and safe with high levels of parental satisfaction. It reduces unnecessary follow-up of uncomplicated patients whilst providing a robust safety net for those with ongoing problems.
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