Quality Assurance Via Telephone Interviews After Cataract Surgery: An Explorative Study

To analyze patient complaints after cataract surgery and satisfaction with telephone calls on the day of surgery and the day after, to determine the best timepoint to perform the calls.

Vienna Institute for Research in Ocular Surgery (VIROS), a Karl-Landsteiner-Institute, Hanusch Hospital, Vienna. 

Patients scheduled for cataract surgery received an additional telephone call on surgery day or the day after (study group). These patients were compared to a group of patients after routine cataract surgery (control group). All patients had a follow-up visit one week after the intervention. During the calls, patients were asked about any complaints and if they had an additional visit at their ophthalmologist. One week after surgery, both groups filled out a questionnaire assessing postoperative symptoms as well as satisfaction with the telephone calls.

181 patients, 92 in the control group and 89 in the study group, were analyzed in this study. Ocular surface problems were the most common postoperative symptoms. More than 80% of the patients were very satisfied with the telephone calls, with patients being contacted directly after surgery being more calmed by the call. No difference in additional (8% vs. 7%) and planned follow-up visits (43% vs. 39%) was found between the control and the telephone group (both p > 0.4). Postoperative patient complaints (Phi 0.372, p < 0.001) and additional prescribed therapy (Phi 0.480, p < 0.001) were moderately associated with additional visits. 

Satisfaction with telephone calls to review patients shortly after cataract surgery was very high and contacting patients immediately on the day of the procedure could be a time- and cost-saving alternative to short-term in-house follow-up visits.