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Efficient patient-initiated follow-up after orthopaedic injections
Ka Siu Fan1,2, Iqraa Haq3, Ali Taha4
1Royal Surrey County Hospital, Guildford, UK. k.fan@surrey.ac.uk.
Background:
Annually, thousands of patients with foot and ankle pain receive injections for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. However, since the duration of pain relief is unpredictable, planning follow-up appointments is difficult. This study aimed to improve patient-initiated follow-up through pain diaries.
Methods:
The diagnosis, intervention and outcomes for patients receiving ultrasound guided foot and ankle injections were included. By comparing the timing of patient-initiated appointments against the standard 6-8 week appointments, the number of 'saved' appointments were calculated.
Results:
Over twelve months, 104 injections were recorded. Fifty-nine patients (57%) requested a follow-up, with a median time to follow-up was 117 days. Only nine patients (9%) requested a review within 6-8 weeks. This may translate to a potential saving of £9500-£19,000 from the avoided follow-up appointments.
Conclusion:
Improved pain monitoring through pain diaries allows follow-up appointments to be tailored to patients, which can improve patient experience and resource allocation.
