The first tool is for use when making an immediate post-op telephone call to follow-up with the patient. It is used to document a number of items including post-op pain and address any questions or concerns of the patient. Download this tool by clicking here (spreadsheet).
The second tool is to document infection control information from the 30-day post-op telephone call to the patient. Download this tool by clicking here (spreadsheet).
The third tool is to be filled out by the physician's office to identify any complications, hospitalizations and infections when the patient goes in for a follow-up appointment. Download this tool by clicking here (spreadsheet).
Ms. Berreth offers a quick tip when using these tools:
"Remember that when data gathering for a quality improvement project, you can use data gathered before and after the scheduled case," she says. "Use your paperwork to your advantage. As you see on my immediate post-op call note, we are currently monitoring pain, and we also monitor nausea and vomiting this way. You get a great sample and you can really get to the 'heart' of the QI project."