Patient Satisfaction with Initial Phone Call Vs. Office Visit Following Minimally Invasive Hysterectomy; A Randomized Controlled Trial

Study Objective The purpose of this study is to compare patient satisfaction on a 10 point scale between patients randomized to a phone call or clinic visit for the first assessment following minimally invasive hysterectomy. Design Eligible, consenting patients were enrolled at their preoperative visit and randomized at that time. Control patients had two office visits at 1-2 weeks and 6-8 weeks after surgery. Patients assigned to the study arm received a phone call 1-2 weeks after surgery, followed by a scheduled visit 6-8 weeks after surgery. Patients in both arms completed the SCAHPS survey after the 6-8 week visit. Setting Academic Hospital. Patients or Participants All women 18-75 undergoing minimally invasive hysterectomy for benign indications. Interventions The study arm had a phone call in lieu of an office visit at 1-2 weeks following surgery. Both arms were seen in clinic 6-8 weeks after surgery and completed an SCAPHS survey at that time. Measurements and Main Results The primary endpoint, patient satisfaction on a 1-10 point scale was 10 for both arms. Nearly all patients in the study stated that the number of office visits was just right. There were no major complications in either group. There were 7/50 patients who experienced minor complications including UTI, readmission within 30 days, and surgical site infections; however, this was not statistically significantly different between groups (p=.72) Patients in the study arm were more likely to have an unplanned emergency room or urgent care visit (5 vs 2); however, this did not reach statistical significance (p=0.25). Patients in the study arm were more likely to have unplanned office visits (3 vs 7), however this did not reach statistical significance. Conclusion Patients in both arms of this study were equally, highly satisfied. Consistent with findings in other specialties, phone calls are an acceptable and safe adjunct for postoperative assessments after MIH. The purpose of this study is to compare patient satisfaction on a 10 point scale between patients randomized to a phone call or clinic visit for the first assessment following minimally invasive hysterectomy. Eligible, consenting patients were enrolled at their preoperative visit and randomized at that time. Control patients had two office visits at 1-2 weeks and 6-8 weeks after surgery. Patients assigned to the study arm received a phone call 1-2 weeks after surgery, followed by a scheduled visit 6-8 weeks after surgery. Patients in both arms completed the SCAHPS survey after the 6-8 week visit. Academic Hospital. All women 18-75 undergoing minimally invasive hysterectomy for benign indications. The study arm had a phone call in lieu of an office visit at 1-2 weeks following surgery. Both arms were seen in clinic 6-8 weeks after surgery and completed an SCAPHS survey at that time. The primary endpoint, patient satisfaction on a 1-10 point scale was 10 for both arms. Nearly all patients in the study stated that the number of office visits was just right. There were no major complications in either group. There were 7/50 patients who experienced minor complications including UTI, readmission within 30 days, and surgical site infections; however, this was not statistically significantly different between groups (p=.72) Patients in the study arm were more likely to have an unplanned emergency room or urgent care visit (5 vs 2); however, this did not reach statistical significance (p=0.25). Patients in the study arm were more likely to have unplanned office visits (3 vs 7), however this did not reach statistical significance. Patients in both arms of this study were equally, highly satisfied. Consistent with findings in other specialties, phone calls are an acceptable and safe adjunct for postoperative assessments after MIH.