Outpatient general surgical follow-up: are we using this resource effectively?

Area of Science:

• Surgical Outpatient Services
• Healthcare Management
• Patient Flow Optimization

Background:

• Increased patient expectations and the 2-week rule strain surgical outpatient clinics.
• The necessity of benign post-operative and investigative follow-ups requires evaluation.
• Optimizing surgical clinic resources is crucial given current demands.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the workload and justification of attendances in surgical outpatient clinics.
• To identify areas for improved efficiency in surgical clinic resource allocation.

Main Methods:

• A 4-week analysis of surgical outpatient clinic workload for four general surgeons at a district general hospital.
• Review of patient notes to determine referral source, management plan, and justification of attendance.

Main Results:

• 66% of post-operative follow-ups for benign procedures (e.g., hernia repair) were deemed unnecessary.
• Over 50% of attendances for 'normal' results could have been avoided with directed communication.
• New referrals constituted 48% of consultations, with 37% added to the elective surgical waiting list.

Conclusions:

• A significant proportion of surgical outpatient attendances are for non-essential follow-ups.
• Implementing directed informative letters can reduce unnecessary appointments for results.
• Optimizing surgical clinic usage is vital for efficient healthcare delivery.