Preclinic telephone consultations: an observational cohort study

Hospital visits for respiratory specialist care often involve multiple consultations and investigations. It was already known that repeated hospital attendances increase healthcare costs and may reduce patient satisfaction. No prior work had resolved how to streamline this process without compromising care quality. Some studies have shown that telehealth can support clinical workflows, but specific data on preclinic telephone consultations remained limited. This gap motivated researchers to explore whether a structured preclinic phone call could reduce hospital visits. Prior research has shown that patient satisfaction is closely linked to perceived care quality. However, the impact of preclinic calls on attendance rates had not been fully established. This study aimed to address these uncertainties by comparing different patient groups.

The study aimed to evaluate if preclinic telephone consultations could reduce hospital visits without lowering patient satisfaction. Researchers focused on patients referred for specialist respiratory care who typically require multiple hospital visits. The motivation was to identify a cost-effective way to manage follow-up consultations and investigations. By comparing three patient groups, the team sought to determine if preclinic calls improved compliance and reduced unnecessary visits. The study also aimed to measure patient satisfaction using a standardized scale. Researchers wanted to ensure that any reduction in visits did not compromise care quality. The goal was to assess whether this approach could be implemented broadly in respiratory care. The study's findings could inform healthcare delivery models in secondary care settings.

The study used an observational cohort design with three groups: participants, non-participants, and comparators. Hospital attendances were tracked over six months from the first specialist contact. The MISS-21 scale measured patient satisfaction with medical interviews. Researchers compared attendance rates between groups using statistical analysis. No new interventions were introduced beyond the preclinic telephone consultation. The study focused on respiratory patients in a secondary care setting. Data collection included both quantitative metrics and patient-reported outcomes. The study's approach relied on real-world clinical data to assess outcomes.

Participants had significantly fewer hospital visits than non-participants and comparators. Only 20.8% of participants had three or more visits compared to 42.9% of non-participants (p = 0.001) and 44.7% of comparators (p = 0.002). The preclinic call reduced follow-up visits and appointment non-attendance rates. Patient satisfaction scores remained high in the participant group. The study found no evidence of reduced satisfaction with the telephone model. Lower rates of late rearrangement of appointments were observed in participants. The results suggest that preclinic consultations may improve compliance. These findings indicate potential cost savings from reduced hospital visits.

The authors proposed that preclinic telephone consultations can reduce hospital visits without lowering patient satisfaction. The study found that participants had fewer follow-up visits than other groups. Researchers suggested that this model may improve appointment compliance. The findings support the use of preclinic calls in respiratory specialist care. The authors proposed that this approach could reduce healthcare costs associated with non-attendance. No prior work had resolved the effectiveness of preclinic calls in this context. The study's results suggest that telehealth can streamline care delivery. The authors proposed that this model could be implemented in other specialties.