A telephone survey of medical patients 1 week after discharge from hospital.

The telephone is an effective means of communication and its use is growing as a means of offering members of the public access to health-care agencies for advice and support. Acute hospital beds are at a premium and as lengths of stay in hospital continue to fall there is an increasing need for effective discharge planning and post-discharge support. Eighty-five patients (58 men and 27 women) were interviewed over the telephone 1 week after discharge from a medical ward. Over half of the patients reported health problems and one-fifth reported social problems. Almost half of the patients sought advice. Telephone follow-up would appear to be a useful means of monitoring a patient's progress and providing an opportunity for patients seeking, or nurses offering, advice and support.