Ambulatory surgery center uses Dialog Health to help reduce post-op calls by 92%

Ambulatory surgery center uses Dialog Health to help reduce post-op calls by 92%

A high-volume ambulatory surgery center used Dialog Health to reduce their post-operative calls by 92%.

The Problem

Post-op staff at a high-volume surgery center struggled to get patients on the phone the day after surgery to check in on them. Staff were making on average 2.5 calls to each patient to ask the required post-op questions regarding nausea, pain and relative wellbeing. The typical call lasts about 6 minutes. Staff were also spending unproductive time leaving voicemail messages and most often recalling multiple times before finally getting the patient on the phone.

 

The Solution

The ASC implemented Dialog Health's two-way real time text-messaging solution. They immediately automated the delivery of a "1-day post-op" follow-up text survey that would replace the phone call if the patient responded positively to the questions. Dialog Health worked with the quality professionals at the ASC to design the questions to meet the requirements of recent QAPI changes

 

"Given we average about 2.5 calls per patient during post-op follow-up, the 1,301 patients who responded YES to the texts sent by Dialog Health saved my staff from having to make more than 3,250 calls which has substantially impacted our FTE per case. From a PACU workflow standpoint, the productivity gains we have seen using Dialog Health have been significant and my nurses now concentrate on doing what we do best...care for our patients."

-            Nelson Rue, Administrator, Baptist Plaza Surgicare

 

The Results

DH Texting Solution

Over a four-month period from April to July 2015, 1,768 patients opted-in for text reminder messages. 1,411 (80%) patients responded to the post-op text questions.

 

Increased Engagement

1,301 (92%) patients responded YES to all of the questions, and saved the cost of the time necessary to make post-op phone calls.

 

Reduced Staff Workload

101 (8%) of patients responded NO to at least one of the questions so the center called the patient. Overall, Dialog Health reduced post-op calls by 92%

 

The Conclusion

92% REDUCTION IN POST-OP CALLS

80% OF PATIENTS RESPONDED TO POST-OP QUESTIONS


    • Related Articles

    • Post-Appointment Messages

      Browse through our Post-Appointment Message Best Practices to explore options for your facility. All text messages are fully customizable. Tips on Character Count: Short text messages are good text messages as they increase the likelihood of reading ...

    • Physician group uses Dialog Health to help alert thousands of patients within minutes, drastically reducing staff phone calls

      The Problem A major practice was having difficulty communicating quickly with patients, staff and providers when unexpected events happened - increasing stress, confusion, and costs due to miscommunication and the chaos it caused The Solution The ...

    • Dialog Health Texting Campaign Reduces Surgery Center Same-Day Cancellations By 66%

      East Valley Endoscopy, a Mesa, Arizona based ambulatory surgery center (ASC) specializing in gastroenterology and endoscopy, used an automated text messaging campaign to patients to substantially decrease its number of same-day cancellations. The ...

    • Welcome to Dialog Health

      What's Next? This article will outline what you can anticipate during the implementation process with Dialog Health. Phase 1: Kick-Off Call The initial phase involves a 30-minute conferences call with the Dialog Health team, wherein we will validate ...

    • Dialog Health's Glossary of Terms

      To help you get the most out of our platform, this article breaks down commonly used terms and definitions you’ll see throughout the product. The Basics Console A Console is a dedicated, self‑service workspace within the Dialog Health platform where ...