Efficacy of postoperative follow-up telephone calls for patients who underwent adenotonsillectomy

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of postoperative follow-up telephone calls among pediatric patients who underwent adenotonsillectomy. Design Prospective study with a follow-up questionnaire administered by telephone. Setting Tertiary-care children's hospital. Patients One hundred thirty-four children between the ages of 4 and 18 years who underwent adenotonsillectomy between December 1997 and June 1998 and did not have associated cardiac, pulmonary, bleeding, or syndromic disorders were included in this pilot study. Intervention Parents of these patients were given the opportunity to participate in our study, and it was emphasized that, at any time during the child's care, if the parent desired a follow-up visit or if the child experienced any symptoms that caused concern, the parent should contact the clinic for a follow-up appointment. A telephone call was placed 3 to 4 weeks postoperatively by an otolaryngology nurse, and a questionnaire was filled out using the parents' responses. Main Outcome Measures The incidence rates of voice change, velopharyngeal insufficiency, bleeding, constipation, dehydration, and pain were measured. Parent satisfaction, patient safety, and cost-benefit were also evaluated. Results Less than 5% of patients reported temporary velopharyngeal insufficiency, while 2% of patients required operative intervention for bleeding episodes and 1% required hospitalization. Voice change, reported by approximately 70% of all patients, was the most common complaint, but it resolved in all instances. Pain was reported to be most severe on postoperative day 1. Ninety-six percent of parents requested no further follow-up visit. Conclusions Our pilot study revealed that a follow-up telephone call is a safe and cost-effective method of postoperative management for pediatric patients who have undergone adenotonsillectomy and that this method of follow-up is also desirable to parents.