Examining Telephone Calls in Ambulatory Oncology

Abstract

Purpose: A large component of ambulatory oncology practice is management of telephone calls placed to and from the practice between outpatient appointments. However, scant information is available in the literature concerning oncology practice telephone calls. The specific aims of this study were to define telephone call volume and distribution in an active ambulatory oncology practice, describe the callers and reasons for the telephone calls, and examine any differences in call volume by practice characteristics. Methods: A descriptive retrospective design was used to analyze medical oncology and hematology telephone calls in a 4-month period. Two investigator-developed tools were validated and used to collect data on telephone call content and patient demographics. Results: The sample included 5,283 telephone calls to or from 1,486 different individuals. Individuals making and/or receiving more than one telephone call in the study period represented 56% of the telephone calls. For every 10 scheduled clinic appointments, seven telephone calls were received or made. The volume of telephone calls was significantly higher on Mondays and in the mornings. The reasons for high-volume telephone calls by diagnosis and frequency were identified, with 30% of telephone calls involving multiple reasons. Conclusion: The data demonstrate the impact of telephone calls on ambulatory oncology practice and highlight the complex and highly variable actions required to manage the telephone calls. The findings confirm and document specific practice patterns and identify subgroups that target repeat telephone calls as an area for improvement.