Observation time after outpatient non-arterial interventional procedures: standards, safety, and outcomes.

Purpose: To evaluate the impact of standardized reduced post-procedure observation time on subsequent healthcare encounters such as emergency department (ED) visits, hospital admissions, and clinic visits.

Methods: 800 consecutive patients undergoing outpatient non-arterial interventional radiologic procedures within the vascular interventional department between 1 June 2013 and 21 July 2014 were included in this IRB-approved, HIPAA-compliant single center observational retrospective study. Electronic medical records were reviewed for subsequent healthcare encounters, such as ED visits, hospital admissions, and clinic visits.