Introduction
The implementation of the system of follow-up telephone calls is a cost-effective, simple project, since it does not require significant finance or time expenses. Telephone calls are a simple and affordable way of communication for the elderly, as it is an integral part of the modern world. For this reason, the realization of projects will take place in such three steps as instructing nurses about the need to make calls and the size of surcharges for them, developing a system for receiving calls, and informing patients about the possibility of a telephone consultation.
Steps of Implementation
The first step will be interviewing the nurse and evaluating the cost of their work and telephone consultations. The average price of services in different states and hospitals can be different, so the study will be necessary for a fair determination of surcharges to nurses. For example, according to a study in Sweden, the estimated mean cost per minute of RN time was € 0.76 (Dahlberg et al., 2017). Hospitals can also calculate an approximate budget based on the size of the surcharge to nurses.
The second step will be developing a follow-up call system, since constant monitoring and access to counseling is an essential step to avoid re-hospitalization. The best option would be to call every 6 hours in the daytime for 72 hours after discharge made by the patient’s nurse. However, there should also be a universal support service that either will redirects the patient’s call to the nurse he or she will need or the one that will be available. This feature is necessary to avoid nurses’ from distraction at work, as well as to provide access to consultation at night.
The third step will be informing patients about the availability of consultations and the obligation of nurses to make follow-up calls. This step is necessary because patients will know that they can seek the help of a nurse, and also they will be aware that they have to answer calls. In addition, if necessary, it will be appropriate to advise the patient on how to dial the number or even add it to the contacts on their phone.
The Budget of the Project
The project’s finance costs are low, since they do not require additional technical means or equipment. The only costs for hospitals are surcharges for nurses for calls, but since their price cannot be too high due to the small amount of work, the spending will be much lower than the money savings for re-hospitalization (Lewis, Samperi, & Boyd-Skinner, 2017). The creation of a separate call center for nighttime consultations is also not necessary, since the nurse on duty can answer calls for an additional fee. Thus, the only additional costs will be the payment of telephone consultations to a nurse per minute.
Time frames
In general, the implementation of the project can take from several months, since information about the call center will go to patients who have been hospitalized. However, the first and second steps will take no more than a week, since calculating the cost of nursing services, as well as scheduling and informing staff, does not require a long time. If to summarize all the processes, they can be represented in the form of the following table.
Conclusion
Therefore, the implication of the follow-up call program for the elderly is a simple project to realization, since it requires mainly organizational changes. The money and time costs for implementing this program are minimal as all hospitals and patients have easy access to telephone communications; hence, the project does not require additional technical means. However, it will take several months for hospitals to assess the impact of follow-up calls on the level of re-hospitalization of elderly patients accurately.
References
- Dahlberg, K., Philipsson, A., Hagberg, L., Jaensson, M., Hälleberg-Nyman, M., & Nilsson, U. (2017). Cost-effectiveness of a systematic e-assessed follow-up of postoperative recovery after day surgery: A multicentre randomized trial. British Journal of Anaesthesia, 119(5), 1039–1046. doi: 10.1093/bja/aex332
- Lewis, E., Samperi, S., & Boyd-Skinner, C. (2017). Telephone follow-up calls for older patients after hospital discharge. Age and Ageing, 46(4), 544–546. doi: 10.1093/ageing/afw251