Tips for Maximizing the Benefits of Postoperative Phone Calls

​Organizations such as the Joint Commission and the American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses require that ambulatory care facilities reassess patients after surgery to determine their response to treatment. Although such organizations do not specify which methods (e.g., phone call, survey) organizations should use for follow-up, the author (Godden) of an article in the December 2010 Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing discusses the advantages of conducting postoperative phone calls and provides tips for maximizing the benefits of such phone calls. Whichever method is chosen, the author notes, facilities must develop and follow organizational policies for patient reassessment.

Some advantages of postoperative phone calls are the opportunity to reinforce postoperative education, relieve patient anxiety, and receive timely feedback on the patient's experience and process issues that may need improvement. In addition, postoperative phone calls may increase patient satisfaction by showing the patient that the facility cares...