Exploring the experience of patients who receive a telephone follow-up call from intensive care unit nurse specialists following hospital discharge: A descriptive survey

Abstract

Background

Following hospital discharge from a critical care-related admission, patients can experience multiple problems. There is limited data about how patients can effectively be supported during recovery from critical illness. As such, different services have emerged internationally with the aim of improving outcomes.

Objective

The objective was to understand the experience of patients who received a telephone follow-up call from an Intensive Care Unit Recovery Nurse Specialist following a critical care-related hospitalisation. We sought to understand what patients valued about these calls, alongside any improvements which could be made.

Methods

Patients from a single centre in the UK, who received a telephone call by the Intensive Care Unit Recovery Nurse Specialist team approximately one month following hospital discharge, were asked to provide feedback on the call via a pre-specified survey. This study employed a descriptive design to report findings from the survey, integrating quantitative and qualitative data to comprehensively explore participant experiences. In this analysis, qualitative feedback was analysed using Framework Analysis and descriptive statistics were used to analyse quantitative data.

Results

We analysed survey data from 125 patients; this represented a response rate of 28.5%. In total, 98.2% (n = 123) of respondents found the call very useful or somewhat useful and 97.1% (n = 121) of respondents stated that the telephone call addressed or somewhat addressed physical health needs and 96.2 % (n = 120) of respondents stated that the telephone call addressed or somewhat addressed emotional health needs. From the qualitative data we derived five themes related to the experience of those receiving these telephone follow-up calls: reassurance and validation; personalised care planning and signposting; access to expertise; family support and scheduling and planning. Potential improvements included: the ability to schedule the call and the purposeful involvement of family members in the process.

Conclusions

This single centre analysis has explored the experience of those receiving a telephone follow-up call from an Intensive Care Unit Recovery Nurse Specialist following critical illness. In the respondents of this evaluation, the call provided reassurance, alongside supporting navigation to appropriate services following hospital discharge. Future research should explore the effectiveness of this intervention, including its impact across diverse groups.