Implementation of electronic messaging protocol for pediatric urology preoperative scheduling: A pilot study

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Healthcare Management
• Patient Communication

Background:

• Optimizing surgical preparation is crucial for healthcare organizations.
• Electronic messaging (EM) offers a potential solution for streamlining preoperative processes.
• This study evaluates the early use of EM for preoperative instructions in pediatric urology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the effectiveness of EM in preparing pediatric urology patients for surgery.
• To compare EM with traditional nurse phone calls (NPC) for preoperative instruction.
• To evaluate patient/parent satisfaction and healthcare system resource utilization.

Main Methods:

• A 6-week pilot program compared EM with NPC for preoperative instructions.
• The same information was delivered through both methods.
• Data collected included system costs, time, resources, and patient/parent satisfaction.

Main Results:

• EM and NPC groups had similar case cancellation rates (6.67% vs. 10.55%).
• EM resulted in fewer required follow-up calls (24% vs. 50%) and high patient recommendation (94%).
• EM demonstrated significant cost savings ($81.82/day, $21,273.20/year) compared to NPC.

Conclusions:

• EM is effective for communicating preoperative information to pediatric urology patients.
• EM leads to high patient satisfaction, cost savings, and efficient use of nursing time.
• Further research is needed to refine the role of perioperative EM.