d="abspara0015">A single-institution, retrospective review was conducted of all patients who underwent pulmonary resection over a 12-month period and included records of standardized, nurse-initiated follow-up phone calls to discharged patients. Records of postdischarge telephone calls were reviewed, and data collected pertaining to complaints requiring counseling over the phone or escalation to higher care level. Demographic, operative, and hospital data were examined by multivariate analyses to assess predictors of need for counseling or escalation of care.
d="abspara0020">In all, 523 patients underwent pulmonary resection during the study, and 245 (46.8%) had nursing-documented telephone conversations at 4.6 days (±0.18) days after discharge. Among those reached, 81 (33.1%) had problems requiring counseling during the call; 31 (12.7%) reported concerns requiring escalation of care, handled by subsequent telephone call for 7 (22.6%), clinic appointment for 22 (71.0%), or emergency room referral for 2 (6.5%). Age, sex, race, and residential proximity to the hospital did not predict need for counseling nor escalation of care.
d="abspara0025">Patient complaints after pulmonary resection were frequent, with most problems resolved by telephone counseling. Despite highly prevalent concerns, predictors of need for counseling or care escalation were not identified, suggesting ongoing utility in the practice of telephoning all patients. Further, this study serves as a needs assessment, highlighting the importance of patient education and discharge planning.