Evaluation of Hospital Readmission Rate Dependent on Post-Operative Follow-Up Procedure

Evaluation of Hospital Readmission Rate Dependent on Post-Operative Follow-Up Procedure: A Randomized Prospective Clinical Trial

This study is a randomized clinical trial among colorectal surgery patients that will compare the efficacy of two different discharge protocols - current standard of care follow-up at two weeks post-op versus a 3-day phone call intervention. The overall aim of the study is to identify areas of improvement for discharging and following patients within 30 days of colorectal surgery.

This study will be a prospective clinical trial, in which colorectal surgery patients will be randomly assigned to a control or experimental group. Patients will be consented and randomized prior to discharge.The control group will be discharged with standard of care follow-up instructions described by The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center (OSUWMC), and scheduled to come in for a standard follow-up clinic visit within 2-3 weeks. The experimental group will also be scheduled for a 2-3 week post-op follow-up appointment, but will also receive a phone call 3-days post procedure. During this phone call, the patient will be asked questions using a study-specific questionnaire that is based on the most frequent indications for readmission after colorectal surgery. Based on the responses, patients will be advised to maintain the scheduled 2-3 week post-op appointment, visit the clinic within 48 hours, or go to the Emergency Department immediately. To determine if patients had visited an ED or been readmitted to a hospital within 30 days of colorectal surgery, both the standard of care and intervention groups will receive a phone call 30-days post-discharge. At this time we will also conduct the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey to measure patient satisfaction.

Patients will be randomized to two arms: Intervention: post operative phone call with protocol driven follow up pathway. Control: Current standard post operative follow up practice at our institution.

The control will be discharged with standard of care follow-up instructions and scheduled for a standard follow-up clinic visit within 2-3 weeks post-op.

The experimental group will receive a phone call intervention 3 days post-op. During this phone call, the patient will be asked questions using a study questionnaire based on the most frequent indications for readmission post colorectal surgery. Based on the responses, patients will be advised to maintain the scheduled appointment, visit the clinic within 48 hours, or go to the Emergency Department immediately.

The experimental group will receive a phone call 3-days post procedure and asked questions based on the most frequent indications for readmission after colorectal surgery.

Inclusion Criteria: Age greater than 18 years old Patients who underwent colorectal surgery at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center Exclusion Criteria: Patients under 18 years old Patients with limited ability to communicate Patients who do not have a telephone