Automated Patient Follow-up: Descriptive and univariate analysis of over 6,000 regional anesthesia patients 

Brittani Bungart, MD, PhD1,2, Karina M. Chan, MS3, Tim Houle, PhD1, Ariel Mueller, MA1, 
Elizabeth Korn, MPH1, Nathan Clark, MS4, Phil Gerner, MD1,2, Meredith M. Pace, MD1,2
1Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; 2Department of Anaesthesia, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA, 3 California Northstate University College of Medicine, Elk Grove, CA

Introduction

Follow-up of surgical patients who receive peripheral anesthetic procedures can help identify procedure-related complications. Traditional telephone follow-ups are time-intensive and have low success rates. Peer-reviewed studies have explored automated text messaging, email, and app-based systems, showing improved response rates and provider preference for single-bolus blocks compared to calls. Automated follow up has shown success for single bolus blocks, but data on response rates and associated factors for continuous catheters remain limited. This study presents response rates for both techniques and a preliminary univariate analysis of variables associated with automated follow-up response rates.