Make follow-up calls to these patients

Consider providing telephone follow-up for patients discharged with the following diagnosis or symptoms:

• Left without being seen (as long as they had registered and a valid phone number was provided);

• Left against medical advice;

• Left without treatment completed;

• Physician/nurse request;

• Children younger than age 5 with a temperature more than 102^° F;

• Abdominal pain;

• Vaginal bleeding;

• Chest pain;

• Significant head injury;

• Headache;

• Seizure;

• Allergic reactions;

• Accidental overdose or ingestion;

• All children under age 1;

• All adults over age 70;

• Change in diagnosis/treatment/discrepancies in test results (physician assistant calls these patients).

Source: Laura J. Roepe, RN, MA, CEN.