Preclinic telephone consultations: an observational cohort study

• Published in: Clinical medicine (London, England) England), 2012-04, Vol.12 (2), p.140-145
• Main Authors: O’Byrne, L, Roberts, NJ, Partridge, MR
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Appointments and Schedules; Biological and medical sciences; Centralized Hospital Services - methods; Clinical Practice; consultations; Continuity of Patient Care - economics; Continuity of Patient Care - organization & administration; Cost Savings - methods; Episode of Care; Female; Follow-Up Studies; General aspects; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Outpatient Clinics, Hospital - organization & administration; Outpatient Clinics, Hospital - statistics & numerical data; Patient Participation; Patient Satisfaction - statistics & numerical data; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Referral and Consultation - organization & administration; Referral and Consultation - standards; respiratory; Respiratory Tract Diseases - diagnosis; Respiratory Tract Diseases - therapy; Specialization; Surveys and Questionnaires; Telephone
• ISSN: 1470-2118; 1473-4893
• DOI: 10.7861/clinmedicine.12-2-140

Patients referred to secondary care for specialist respiratory review frequently undergo multiple hospital attendances for investigations and consultations. This study evaluated the potential of a preclinic telephone consultation and subsequent coordination of tests and face-to-face consultations to reduce hospital visits. Total hospital attendances were recorded for three cohorts (participants, non-participants and comparators) for 6 months from first specialist contact. Patients completed the medical interview satisfaction scale-21 (MISS-21). The study showed that a preclinic telephone consultation can significantly reduce hospital visits over a fixed period without reducing patient satisfaction. In total, 20.8% of the participant group had three or more hospital attendances compared with 42.9% of the non-participant group (p=0.001) and 44.7% of the comparator group (p=0.002). Participants had fewer follow up visits and lower rates of non-attendance/late rearrangement of appointments. This service reduces unnecessary hospital visits, seems to improve patient compliance and may save costs associated with non-attendance and follow up consultations.