Lessons Learned From Examining After-Hours Call Patterns

●Providing patient telephone access to provider after hours can avert ED visits and result in cost savings for health systems.●Process for documenting after hours calls can improve communication between providers.

In this study we examine after-hours calls at 2 primary-care, nurse-managed health centers to identify the role and cost saving of having an after-hours call system for averting emergency department (ED) visits. Data were collected over a 1-year period on a standardized template. Fifty percent of the 124 calls averted an ED visit, saving an estimated $19,406. Another 43% of the calls were for non-urgent concerns and only 9 (7%) calls resulted in an ED referral. Findings suggest that a process for documenting after-hours calls can reduce systems costs and improve communication between providers.