How do general practices manage requests from patients for 'same-day' appointments? A questionnaire survey

Area of Science:

• General Practice
• Healthcare Management
• Primary Care

Background:

• Same-day appointment requests are a frequent challenge in general practices.
• Existing appointment systems often struggle to accommodate these urgent demands.
• This can lead to operational difficulties and increased workload for healthcare providers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the management systems used by general practices for same-day appointment requests.
• To identify the impact of these requests on general practitioners' stress levels.
• To assess the roles of different healthcare professionals and triage methods in managing demand.

Main Methods:

• A questionnaire survey was distributed to 90 general practices within a specific health authority area.
• The study achieved a high response rate of 88%.
• Data collected focused on appointment management strategies and practitioner experiences.

Main Results:

• A diverse range of management systems for same-day requests were identified across practices.
• Managing these requests was a significant source of stress for many general practitioners.
• Registrars, locum doctors, and practice nurses were found to play a limited role in meeting patient demand.
• Telephone triage systems were infrequently utilized.

Conclusions:

• Current practices face challenges in managing same-day appointment requests effectively.
• The burden of managing urgent appointments contributes to practitioner stress.
• There is a need for improved strategies, potentially involving enhanced triage systems and broader staff involvement, to alleviate pressure on general practitioners.