A prospective study of the workload of a newly formed PEG advice team

A multidisciplinary advice team may be the optimal way of providing the long-term nutritional and percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG)-related care for patients dependent on PEG feeding but the workload involved is unknown.

To study prospectively the workload of a proactive, multidisciplinary PEG advice team over a 2-year period.

Separate documentation from main case notes of each episode of the team's contact with PEG or potential PEG patients, including assessment, advice and therapy given, from the time of its establishment, for four consecutive 6-monthly periods.

During the audit, 89 patients were referred to the team for consideration of PEG insertion and PEGs were placed in 74. Eighty-nine additional patients were referred for follow up having had a PEG placed elsewhere. During the four audit periods the rate of new PEG insertions increased by 53%, the rate of PEG replacements by 315%, and the number of patients under the team increased from 16 to 70, an increase of 337%. Numbers of inpatient and outpatient consultations, and visits to other institutions by members of the team increased commensurately.

The rapidly increasing workload of the team suggests it is playing a valued role but there are significant resource implications.