Related Experiment Videos
Specialist outreach clinics in general practice
J J Bailey1, M E Black, D Wilkin
1Department of General Practice, University of Manchester, Rusholme Health Centre.
BMJ (Clinical Research Ed.)
|April 23, 1994
Summary
Specialist outreach clinics are common across various medical fields and are well-received, particularly by general practice fundholders, offering improved patient access and reduced wait times. However, they have not significantly increased interaction between general practitioners and specialists.
Area of Science:
- Health Services Research
- Primary Care Medicine
- Specialist Healthcare Delivery
Background:
- Specialist outreach clinics aim to improve access to specialist care within primary care settings.
- Understanding the scope and perceptions of these clinics is crucial for optimizing healthcare delivery.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence and characteristics of specialist outreach clinics in primary care.
- To gather perspectives from specialists and general practitioners (GPs) regarding these clinics.
Main Methods:
- Conducted telephone interviews with 50 hospital managers across England and Wales.
- Utilized postal questionnaires for 96 specialists and 88 GPs involved in outreach clinics.
- Surveyed 122 general practitioner fundholders on their use and views of outreach services.
Main Results:
- Identified 96 hospital-based and 61 general practice-based outreach clinics across psychiatry, medical, and surgical specialties.
- Outreach clinics, predominantly led by consultants, demonstrated shorter waiting times for initial appointments.
- Key patient benefits cited were enhanced accessibility and reduced waiting periods.
Conclusions:
- Specialist outreach clinics are widely established and popular, particularly within fundholding general practices.
- Despite their popularity and benefits, these clinics have not demonstrably fostered greater collaboration between GPs and specialists.