8884 Assessment of Patient-Initiated Communications Following Benign Hysterectomy

Abstract

<h3>Study Objective</h3> Postoperative care is an essential component of patient outcome and satisfaction. Patients after hysterectomy often contact their physicians for various concerns, but the specific reasons are not known. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reasons and factors associated with patient-initiated communications 30 days after hysterectomy for benign conditions. <h3>Design</h3> A retrospective chart review. <h3>Setting</h3> Tertiary academic medical center. <h3>Patients or Participants</h3> Patients aged 18 years and older who underwent hysterectomy for benign conditions from January 2014 to December 2018. <h3>Interventions</h3> N/A. <h3>Measurements and Main Results</h3> Of the 325 patients who underwent hysterectomy for benign conditions, 161(49.5%) initiated 299 communication events. The most common reasons for patient phone calls and messages were concerns related to pain (33.5%), surgical incisions (19.3%), activity restrictions (13.0%), and urinary symptoms (13.0%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that patients with a history of mood disorder (OR 2.12, CI 1.19-3.79, p=0.01) and cesarean section (OR 2.064, CI 1.21-3.53, p<0.01) were more likely to contact the office, while Hispanic patients (OR 0.29, CI 0.13-0.62) were less likely to initiate communication. The route of hysterectomy was not associated with any differences in patient contacts. Using same-day discharge as the reference group, patients discharged on postoperative day 1 (OR 0.48, CI 0.28-0.83, p<0.01) and postoperative day 2 or later (OR 2.51, CI 1.07-5.89, p=0.04) were respectively associated with a decreased and increased likelihood of postoperative contacts. <h3>Conclusion</h3> About 1 in 2 patients contacted their physician within 30 days after benign hysterectomy. The most common concern was related to pain, followed by surgical incisions. By evaluating factors associated with patient communications after surgery, the healthcare team can better target patient needs and perioperative education to improve postoperative expectations, care, and satisfaction.