Dr. BC Children's Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Background: Post pediatric cardiac catheterization surveillance for complications, addressing parental concerns, and assuring appropriate follow-up requires reliable communication between the patient and healthcare providers. We sought to evaluate our follow-up of post-cardiac catheterization patients to identify limitations impacting the quality of care and exploring the use of a text messaging platform (WelTel) as a tool for addressing non-urgent concerns, improving communication between patients and the healthcare team, and ensuring continuity of care.
METHODS AND RESULTS: A two-part quality improvement initiative was conducted at our center to evaluate the impact of implementing a secure text-messaging platform (WelTel) for post-catheterization care. A baseline assessment prior to implementing the intervention between September 2023 and February 2024 included 85 of 93 eligible patients. Two post-catheterization surveys were performed assessing the experience immediately after catheterization and six weeks following the procedure. While in-person communication at the time of catheterization was generally rated as satisfactory, 14% of families reported needing further clarification after discharge, and 9.4% contacted the hospital with early post-discharge concerns. Notably, 88% expressed interest in a secure platform for non-urgent communication, highlighting a gap in structured post-procedural support.
A healthcare-approved SMS platform (WelTel) was offered to all patients undergoing catheterization between March 2024 and January 2025, enabling non-urgent communication with the care team for up to six weeks post-procedure. A total of 54 of 99 eligible patients enrolled. Two-way communication took place for 68% of participants, totaling 495 messages exchanged during the intervention period. Conversations addressed topics such as wound care, medications, and follow-up planning. Among health-related concerns, 61% involved catheterization site issues, with two cases requiring in-person reassessment. All respondents described the platform as easy to use, and felt they had adequate opportunities to ask questions. Those with prior catheterization experience reported an improvement in communication, more timely resolution of concerns, and better continuity of care. The platform was felt to be helpful for families in remote areas who cited more timely guidance.
Conclusion: A qualitative evaluation of our post pediatric cardiac catheterization follow-up revealed post discharge communication as an area of growth. Among families enrolled in the WelTel intervention all respondents to the post-intervention survey reported a high level of satisfaction with the platform, particularly among families in remote settings. These findings support the feasibility, acceptability, and value of a secure text-based communication tool in enhancing post-catheterization care.
