Introduction: Cataract surgery, generally performed on an outpatient basis, is the most common surgical procedure in France. Patients are contacted the day before and the day after by telephone, which is time-consuming and subject to great inter-operator variability. Automated SMS allows standardized information to be sent instantaneously to a large number of patients. Our goal was to assess the impact of SMS messaging on patient satisfaction and compliance.
Materials and methods: Our prospective study consisted of two arms: an intervention group receiving SMS, and a control group. We recorded patient satisfaction using a questionnaire and compared compliance with preoperative instructions.
Results: Mean patient satisfaction with SMS was 9.3±0.9 out of 10. For 96% of patients, SMS messages strengthened the relationship with professionals, and 99% found them useful for following preoperative recommendations, with no significant difference between groups in terms of compliance.
Discussion: The very high satisfaction rate shows that patients are eager for information. The feeling of an improved relationship in this older population overcomes the fear of dehumanization of the relationship. SMS messages enable information to be sent and collected efficiently, and are easily accepted.
Conclusion: Automated SMS messaging is an alternative to telephone calls for informing patients before and after a procedure, without the pitfall of the digital gap created by mobile applications. Studies are underway to extend the indications and confirm the benefits in terms of compliance and freeing up nursing time.
Keywords: Cataract; Cataracte; Chirurgie ambulatoire; Doctor–patient relationship; Healthcare quality; Information; Outpatient surgery; Qualité des soins; Relation patient–médecin; SMS; Satisfaction; Telemedicine; Télémédecine; Videos; Vidéos.
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