Effectiveness of nurse leader rounding and post-discharge telephone calls in patient satisfaction: a systematic review

Abstract

Background Patients' satisfaction with hospital services is an important indicator in demonstrating that nursing care meets their expectations. Hospitals are responsible for providing safe and quality care to patients during their hospitalization and ensuring patients receive continued care post-discharge. Interventions such as nurse leader rounding and post-discharge telephone calls could potentially enhance patients' hospital stay, meeting their expectations and needs in a timely manner. Objectives The objective of this review was to synthesize the best available evidence on the effectiveness of nurse leader rounding and post-discharge telephone calls in patient satisfaction of nursing and hospital services. Inclusion criteria Types of participants The review included studies of adult patients (aged 18 years or older) who had been admitted to hospital. Studies undertaken in outpatient settings were excluded. Types of intervention(s) The interventions studied were nurse leader rounding and post-discharge telephone calls. There was no comparator. Types of studies This review considered studies with experimental designs, including randomized controlled trials, non-randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental designs, and before and after studies. It also considered studies with analytical and descriptive epidemiological designs, including prospective and retrospective cohort studies, case control studies, analytical cross-sectional studies, case series, and individual case reports. Types of outcomes The primary outcome was patients' satisfaction with nursing and hospital services. Search strategy A search for published and unpublished English language studies from 2003 to 2013 was conducted in seven major electronic databases. They were Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Scopus, Web of Science, MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, PsycINFO and Mednar. A three-step search strategy was used, developing MeSH terminology and keywords to search and retrieve all relevant literature for the review. Methodological quality Two reviewers appraised the methodological quality of the studies independently, using the Joanna Briggs Institute's standardized critical appraisal instruments. Data extraction Data was extracted from the studies using the standardized data extraction tool. The authors of primary studies were contacted for missing information or data. Data synthesis Statistical pooling was not possible due to the included studies being descriptive study design. Therefore, the data was presented in narrative summary. Results Three studies were included in the review. The evidence was weak to suggest that nurse leader rounding and post-discharge telephone calls were effective in enhancing patients' satisfaction. Conclusions The interventions on nurse leader rounding and post-discharge telephone calls had increased patients' satisfaction of nursing and hospital services. Implications for practice Hospitals could potentially use nurse leader rounding and post-discharge telephone calls to increase patients' satisfaction of nursing and hospital services. Implications for research Randomized controlled trials are needed to determine the effect of nurse leader rounding and post-discharge telephone calls on patients' satisfaction of nursing and hospital services.