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Completed

NCT Number: NCT03050918

Discharge Follow-up Phone Call Program

The goal of this project is to quantify the impact of post-hospital discharge follow-up phone calls on hospital readmission, ED visits, patient satisfaction, and mortality in a general medicine inpatient population. We will obtain exploratory information on patient sub-groups at high risk for hospital readmission and on those experiencing high benefit from the follow-up phone call intervention. In addition, we will obtain data on discharge plan implementation assistance needed to support a successful transition from inpatient to outpatient care among those reached by the intervention phone call.

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Key information

Conditions

Discharge Follow-up Phone Calls

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Nashville, Tennessee, 37232, United States

About this study

RATIONALE

In the current medical literature, it is unclear how follow-up calls influence these outcomes in a general medical population. Some studies have attempted to address this question, but are limited in that they target very specific patient populations, are of insufficient quality, or evaluated follow-up calls as part of a larger care bundle. We will conduct a high quality, real-time clinical care study to determine the efficacy of a follow-up phone call program.

STUDY DESIGN

This is a single center, pragmatic, randomized, controlled clinical trial to investigate whether a structured post-hospital discharge follow-up phone call can improve patients' transition from in-hospital to outpatient care and improve satisfaction with their care. We will also identify the discharge implementation assistance given to those in the intervention (Phone Call) group.

Outcome Measures Primary outcome for this study is readmission event rate within 30 days. Secondary outcomes include patient satisfaction which will be measured as mean Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) patient satisfaction scores, all cause VUMC emergency department (ED) visits, the need for assistance with discharge plan implementation, and 30 day mortality.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • VUMC patients discharged after an inpatient status hospital stay on a general medicine service.

Exclusion criteria

  • patients who experience in-hospital death
  • patient discharged to any post-acute care facility or inpatient hospice
  • left the hospital against medical advice

Treatment and study plan

Follow-up Phone Call

Behavioral

Patients will receive a first call attempt within 72 hours discharge.

Primary outcomes

  1. Number of Participants With In-patient Re-admissions

    Time frame: 30 days

    Number of participants with in-patient re-admissions

Secondary outcomes

  1. Patient Satisfaction: Experience

    Time frame: Within 60 days of Discharge

    Measured as mean Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) patient satisfaction scores. Higher scores indicate more patient satisfaction. Range is 0-9 with 9 being the most satisfied.

  2. Patient Satisfaction: Likelihood to Recommend the Facility (Top Box Rating)

    Time frame: Within 60 days of Discharge

    Measured as mean Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) patient satisfaction scores. Number of patients that reported a score of 3. Range is 0-3 with 3 being highest satisfaction.

  3. Patient Satisfaction: Hospital Experience (Top Box Rating)

    Time frame: Within 60 days of Discharge

    Measured as mean Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) patient satisfaction scores. Number of patients that rated the Hospital Experience as 9. Scale range is 0-9. Higher scores indicate more patient satisfaction.

  4. Patient Satisfaction: Likelihood to Recommend the Facility

    Time frame: Within 60 days of Discharge

    Measured as mean Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) patient satisfaction scores. Scale range is 0-3. Higher scores indicate more patient satisfaction.

  5. VUMC Emergency Department (ED) Visits

    Time frame: 30 days

    All cause ED visits following discharge

  6. Number of Patient Received Discharge Plan Implementation Assistance

    Time frame: 30 days

    Need for assistance in implementing discharge plan

  7. Mortality

    Time frame: 30 days

    All cause mortality

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Other

Registry information

Official study title

A Pragmatic, Randomized, Controlled Trial Examining the Effectiveness of a Hospital Discharge Follow-up Phone Call Program

Acronym: FUTR-30

Important dates

Study start
2017
Primary completion
2017
Study completion
2018
First posted
Feb 13, 2017
Registry last updated
Jul 29, 2019

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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