Clinical trial NCT02393534: Feasibility of Telephone Follow-up Visits in Primary Care
Official title: The Feasibility of Replacing Follow-up Visits With Telephone Calls in Primary Care: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: PHASE4
Conditions: No Specific Condition
Keywords: Primary Care
Health Services Research
Telemedicine
Lead sponsor: NYU Langone Health
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation
First posted: 2015-03-19
Enrollment: 11
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose: HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Brief summary: Doctors frequently speak with their patients over the telephone. Having a visit with a doctor over the telephone rather than face-to-face can be convenient for patients and allow them to save time and money on transportation and missed time from work. However, some patients may prefer seeing the doctor in person. In this study, we will study two groups of patients - some who have their visits with their doctor over the telephone and some who have them face-to-face. Using surveys and interviews, we will study if the groups differ in their satisfaction with their visit with their doctor after participating in the study for 6 months. We will also look at doctor satisfaction with telephone visits, use of clinic resources and if patients received recommended care such as laboratory tests and vaccines during the study period.

Detailed description: This two arm randomized controlled trial will evaluate the effect of telephone follow-up versus standard in-person follow-up (usual care) on patient satisfaction among a sample of 360 primary care patients followed at the Gouverneur Ambulatory Care Practice. All primary care patients will be considered eligible at the outset. Providers will determine patient's study eligibility at the baseline visit based on the ability to safely follow-up the patient's health issue over the telephone in subsequent visits. Eligible patients that are randomized to the telephone follow-up arm will have their next medical visit with their primary care provider via a telephone call. Eligible patients that are randomized to the usual care arm will have a standard in-person clinic visit with their primary care provider. In both study arms, the timing and frequency of follow-up appointments will be determined by the patient's primary care provider. Regardless of group assignment, outcomes will be assessed at the baseline and 6-month study visit.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Have a follow-up issue that can be addressed over the phone (as determined by their provider);
* 18 years of age or older;
* Have a working telephone number; and
* Are English, Spanish, Cantonese or Mandarin-speaking.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Patient refusal or are unable to provide informed consent;
* Currently participate in another clinical trial;
* Have significant psychiatric comorbidity or cognitive impairment that would compromise their ability to participate (as determined by their provider); or
* Plan to discontinue care at the Gouverneur Ambulatory Care Practice within the next 6 months

Primary outcomes:
measure: Feasibility assessment
timeFrame: 6 months
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Provider workload
timeFrame: 6 months
measure: Provider workload
timeFrame: 6 months
measure: Patient Satisfaction
timeFrame: 6 months
Other outcomes:
measure: Provider Satisfaction
timeFrame: 6 months
measure: Patient receipt of medical recommendations
timeFrame: 6 months
Locations:
city: New York
country: United States
facility: Gouverneur TDC
state: New York
Study officials:
affiliation: NYU School of Medicine
name: Antoinette Schoenthaler
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: