A randomized study of electronic mail versus telephone follow-up after emergency department visit

• Published in: The Journal of emergency medicine Vol. 24; no. 2; pp. 125 - 130
• Main Authors: Ezenkwele, Ugo A, Sites, Frank D, Shofer, Frances S, Pritchett, Ellen N, Hollander, Judd E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01-02-2003; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Aftercare - standards; Biological and medical sciences; Chi-Square Distribution; Continuity of Patient Care - standards; discharged patients; Electronic Mail; emergency department follow-up; Emergency Service, Hospital - standards; Female; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Miscellaneous; Patient Discharge; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Telephone; telephone contact; discharged patients; emergency department follow-up; telephone contact; electronic mail; Human; Randomization; Emergency department; Telephone; Electronic mail; Comparative study; Contact
• ISSN: 0736-4679; 2352-5029
• DOI: 10.1016/S0736-4679(02)00739-4

This study was conducted to determine whether electronic mail (e-mail) increases contact rates after patients are discharged from the emergency department (ED). Following discharge, patients were randomized to be contacted by telephone or e-mail. The main outcome was success of contact. Secondary outcome was the median time of response. There were 1561 patients initially screened. Of these, 444 had e-mail and were included in the study. Half were contacted by telephone and the rest via e-mail. Our telephone contact rate was 58% (129/222) after two calls in a 48-h period and our e-mail contact was 41% (90/222). The telephone was nearly two times better than e-mail. The median time of response was 48 h for e-mail and 18 h for telephone. It is concluded that the telephone is a better modality of contact than e-mail for patients discharged from the ED.