A one-stop vascular clinic: a practical proposition with non-invasive assessment

Healthcare systems are evolving to improve patient convenience and reduce hospital visits. Traditional vascular assessments often involve multiple appointments for clinical exams and diagnostic tests. This approach can be burdensome for patients and their primary care providers. While non-invasive diagnostics have advanced, their integration into single-visit models remains limited. Prior research has shown that streamlined care improves patient satisfaction and adherence. However, no prior work had resolved how to efficiently combine vascular imaging with clinical evaluation in a single setting. This gap motivated the development of a one-stop vascular clinic model. That uncertainty drove the need to evaluate the feasibility of integrating diagnostic imaging into a single outpatient visit.

The study aimed to assess the practicality of a one-stop vascular clinic model. The specific problem addressed was the inefficiency of requiring multiple hospital visits for vascular diagnosis. The motivation stemmed from patient and physician demand for streamlined care. The model focused on lower limb arterial disease and aortic aneurysms. It also considered varicose veins and carotid disease. The researchers propose that consolidating clinical exams and imaging into a single visit could improve care delivery. The goal was to measure patient volume and imaging requirements. The study sought to determine if in-clinic scanning could be logistically feasible.

The study evaluated a one-stop vascular clinic over a two-year period. Data were collected from 92 clinic sessions. Patient records were reviewed to determine diagnostic categories and imaging use. The primary diagnostic tools included non-invasive vascular imaging. The researchers tracked the number of new and follow-up patients. They categorized patients into four diagnostic groups. The study measured total imaging time per clinic session. The researchers also assessed staffing needs for expanded in-clinic scanning.

The clinic served 1194 new patients and 1409 follow-up patients over two years. Lower limb arterial disease was the most common condition at 40%. Varicose veins followed at 25%, and carotid disease at 12%. Aortic aneurysms accounted for 8% of cases. Non-invasive imaging was performed for 57% of patients. Scanning for LLAD and aortic cases required 1.9 hours per clinic. Extending scanning to other conditions increased time to 3.9 hours per clinic. Additional staff and equipment were needed for expanded imaging.

The one-stop vascular clinic model is feasible for selected vascular conditions. The authors suggest that consolidating diagnostics into a single visit improves efficiency. They propose that LLAD and aortic aneurysms are suitable for in-clinic imaging. The study indicates that 57% of patients benefit from non-invasive imaging. The researchers suggest that scanning time increases with broader patient inclusion. They propose that additional staff and equipment are necessary for expanded use. The findings suggest that streamlined care is achievable with proper resource allocation. The authors suggest that this model may improve patient satisfaction and reduce hospital visits.