Returning a referral for erectile dysfunction to the referrer by two different routes

Area of Science:

• Urology
• General Practice
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Long waiting times for specialist erectile dysfunction (ED) assessments are common.
• Patients may seek alternative treatments due to delays.
• General Practitioners (GPs) play a crucial role in managing ED.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare GP prescribing patterns and attitudes towards managing erectile dysfunction (ED).
• To evaluate two communication methods (letter vs. telephone) for informing GPs about patient referrals.
• To assess the impact of communication on GP willingness to prescribe ED treatments.

Main Methods:

• Review of ED patient referrals and identification of NHS-eligible patients.
• Informing GPs via letter or telephone about patient contact.
• Follow-up questionnaires to assess GP attitudes and prescribing patterns.

Main Results:

• 57% of patients tried sildenafil before assessment; 35% tried it due to waiting times.
• GPs were ten times more likely to initiate sildenafil prescriptions than not.
• Letter communication resulted in higher GP questionnaire response rates (80%) than telephone (64%).

Conclusions:

• Both letter and telephone communication are acceptable for informing GPs about ED referrals.
• Providing guidelines and advice to GPs effectively reduces waiting times for ED management.
• Safe and effective ED treatments are readily available for GP prescription under NHS guidelines.