Characteristics and perceptions of after-hours callers

Area of Science:

• Family Medicine
• Healthcare Access
• Patient Experience

Background:

• After-hours care is crucial for community health services.
• Limited understanding exists regarding patient and physician perspectives on after-hours care.
• This study addresses the gap in knowledge concerning after-hours call management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze patient and physician views on after-hours care.
• To investigate the reasons behind after-hours calls in a family practice setting.
• To assess caller satisfaction with after-hours services.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 12,499 after-hours calls over five years.
• Conducted 798 follow-up telephone interviews with callers.
• Compared caller-reported reasons with physician perceptions.

Main Results:

• 50% of calls were for the caller, 50% for family members (often children).
• A significant portion of callers (nearly one-third) cited anxiety as the primary reason for calling, contrasting with physician perceptions of physical problems.
• A majority of callers indicated they would use hospital emergency rooms if after-hours services were unavailable.
• Despite differing views on call reasons, most callers reported satisfaction with the after-hours contact.

Conclusions:

• After-hours care services are highly valued by patients, who often utilize them for non-physical concerns like anxiety.
• Patient needs and perceptions in after-hours care may differ from physician assumptions.
• Ensuring access to after-hours services is important, as patients would otherwise resort to emergency rooms.