A recent study published in the American Journal of Managed Care examined access to specialty care by working to identify patients who could be safely discharged from a GI clinic and analyzing the impact of these discharges on clinic work flow.
Here are seven things to know from the study.
• The researchers developed a modified Delphi process, with which gastroenterologists and primary care providers rated their comfort with discharging patients immediately following endoscopy in 24 different clinical scenarios.
• The researchers then implemented the criteria based on clinic wait times and the ratio of follow-up visits.
• Gastroenterologist and primary care physicians reached a consensus in 13 of the 24 clinical scenarios.
• After the intervention, 403 patients were discharged from the GI clinic, in comparison to the 0 zero patients discharged in the 4 months prior to intervention.
• Follow-up appointments increased post-intervention.
• Median wait time for next available appointment at the GI clinic decreased.
• The study authors concluded that discharging patients from specialty care to primary care with consensus standards can improve specialty care access.
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Here are seven things to know from the study.
• The researchers developed a modified Delphi process, with which gastroenterologists and primary care providers rated their comfort with discharging patients immediately following endoscopy in 24 different clinical scenarios.
• The researchers then implemented the criteria based on clinic wait times and the ratio of follow-up visits.
• Gastroenterologist and primary care physicians reached a consensus in 13 of the 24 clinical scenarios.
• After the intervention, 403 patients were discharged from the GI clinic, in comparison to the 0 zero patients discharged in the 4 months prior to intervention.
• Follow-up appointments increased post-intervention.
• Median wait time for next available appointment at the GI clinic decreased.
• The study authors concluded that discharging patients from specialty care to primary care with consensus standards can improve specialty care access.
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