AHRQ Health IT Update: Automated Patient Feedback

AHRQ Health IT Update: Automated Patient Feedback

AHRQ Health IT Update: Automated Patient Feedback

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) sent this bulletin at 05/13/2014 07:30 AM EDT

Study Examines Effectiveness of Automated Approaches for Receiving Patient Feedback

A new study supported by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) suggests that many patients who do not improve as expected after a medical appointment don’t take further action to address unresolved problems. The study found that systematic follow-up, including a live follow-up call and those made by an interactive voice response system, can potentially identify and connect patients to needed care. “Exploration of an automated approach for receiving patient feedback after outpatient acute care visits” appeared online March 8 in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

Researchers evaluated patients seen in outpatient settings for evaluation and treatment of a new health problem. The patients received a live follow-up call one week after their visit and via an interactive voice response system (IVRS) three weeks after their visit to determine their satisfaction with the diagnosis and treatment(s) provided. The study showed that automated telephone feedback systems can feasibly be used to follow-up on patient outcomes in outpatient settings. Further research on the effectiveness of this technology is needed to determine the role of automated telephone feedback systems in ambulatory care settings.

Select to access the abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24610308.