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Emergency department nurse call back: A quality improvement project
Emily Knights1, Vanessa Gorman2, Biswadev Mitra3
1Northpark Private Hospital, 10 Greenhills Road, Bundoora, Melbourne, Australia; School of Nursing and Midwifery, La Trobe University, Corner Plenty Road and Kingsbury Drive, Bundoora, Melbourne, Australia.
International Emergency Nursing
|April 13, 2021
Summary
Nurse call back programs effectively identify patients experiencing clinical deterioration post-Emergency Department discharge. This quality improvement initiative demonstrated feasibility and potential for timely intervention, improving patient outcomes and reducing adverse events.
Area of Science:
- Emergency Medicine
- Quality Improvement
- Patient Outcomes
Background:
- Early detection of clinical deterioration after Emergency Department (ED) discharge is crucial for timely intervention.
- Post-discharge patient monitoring can significantly improve health outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of a nurse call back program for patients discharged from the ED.
- To enhance early recognition of patients experiencing clinical deterioration after ED discharge.
Main Methods:
- A quality improvement project involving nurse call backs to patients within 72 hours of ED discharge.
- All eligible patients discharged to their usual residence were included, with a standard algorithm used for follow-up calls.
- Data collected included patient contact rates and the proportion meeting deterioration criteria.
Main Results:
- 80% of eligible patients were successfully contacted via nurse call back.
- Clinical deterioration was identified in 5% of contacted patients, with most directed to seek further medical attention.
- Of patients who represented to the ED, 46% were admitted, indicating significant clinical need.
Conclusions:
- Implementing nurse call back programs in the ED is feasible.
- Nurse call back has the potential to reduce delays in re-presentation, prevent complications, and mitigate adverse events.
- Further evaluation of this intervention is warranted to optimize patient care pathways.
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