Feasibility of Telephone Follow-up Visits in Primary Care

NCT ID: NCT02393534

Last Updated: 2016-04-06

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: PHASE4
• Total Enrollment: 11 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2015-06-30
• Study Completion Date: 2016-04-30

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.

Conditions

No Specific Condition

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: SINGLE_GROUP
• Primary Study Purpose: HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

Usual Care

Eligible patients that are randomized to the usual care arm will have a standard in-person clinic visit with their primary care provider.

Group Type: NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Telephone visit

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.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Telephone Visit

Intervention Type: OTHER

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.

Interventions

Telephone Visit

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.

Intervention Type: OTHER

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

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation

OTHER

Sponsor Role: collaborator

NYU Langone Health

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Antoinette Schoenthaler

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

NYU School of Medicine

Locations

Gouverneur TDC

New York, New York, United States

Countries

United States

Other Identifiers

14-01863

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id