Effect of SMS Ward Round Notifications on Inpatient Experience in Acute Medical Settings: A Retrospective Cohort Study (Preprint)

Abstract

BACKGROUND Ward rounds are an essential component of inpatient care. Patient participation in rounds is increasingly encouraged, despite the occasional complicated circumstances, especially in acute care settings. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to evaluate the effect of real-time ward round notifications using text messaging on the satisfaction of inpatients in an acute medical ward. METHODS Since January 2021, a service implementing real-time ward round notifications via text messaging (WR-SMS) has been operational at a tertiary-care medical center in Korea. To assess its effect on the satisfaction of patients who had been admitted to the acute medical unit and participated in the Seoul National University Bundang Hospital (SNUBH) patient-experience survey during 2020-2021, we conducted a retrospective cohort study. We assessed the satisfaction of the participants based on the SNUBH patient experience survey results and compared the scores from 2020 (before WR-SMS implementation, 2020 group) with those of 2021 (after WR-SMS implementation, 2021 group). RESULTS From January 2020 to December 2021, a total of 100 patients were enrolled (53 patients in the 2020 group, and 47 patients in the 2021 group). Compared with the 2020 group, the 2021 group showed significantly greater satisfaction about being informed about round schedules (3.43 ± 0.910 vs 3.89 ± 0.375, P < .001) and felt more emotionally supported during admission (3.49 ± 0.800 vs 3.87 ± 0.397, P < .001). Regarding other questionnaire scores, the 2021 group showed an overall, although statistically insignificant, improvement compared to the 2020 group. CONCLUSIONS Real-time round notifications using a user-friendly short message service may improve inpatient satisfaction effectively.