Translating 'See-and-Treat' to primary care: opening the gates does not cause a flood.
Int J Qual Health Care
; 31(7): 30-36, 2019 Aug 01.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-30624735
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE:
To explore how the See-and-Treat concept can be applied in primary care and its effect on volume and productivity.DESIGN:
An explanatory single-case study design with a mixed methods approach and presented according to the SQUIRE 2.0 guidelines.SETTING:
A publicly-funded, private primary care provider within the Stockholm County, which caters to a diverse patient population in terms of ethnicity, religion, socioeconomic status and care needs.PARTICIPANTS:
CEO, center manager, four physicians, two licensed practical nurses, one medical secretary and one lab assistant. INTERVENTION A See-and-Treat unit was established to offer same-day service for acute unplanned visits. Standardized patient symptom forms were created that allowed patients to self-triage and then enter into a streamlined care process consisting of a quick diagnostic lab and a physician visit. MAIN OUTCOMEMEASURES:
Volume, productivity, staff perceptions and patient satisfaction were measured through data on number and type of contacts per 1000 listed patients, visits per physician, observations, interviews and a questionnaire.RESULTS:
A significant decrease in the acute and total number of visits, a continued trend of diminishing telephone contacts, and a non-significant increase in physician productivity. Patients were very satisfied, and staff perceived an improved quality of care.CONCLUSIONS:
See-and-Treat appears to be a viable approach for a specific primary care patient segment interested in acute same-day-service. Opening up access and standardizing care made it possible to efficiently address these needs and engage patients.Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Atenção Primária à Saúde
/
Triagem
Tipo de estudo:
Guideline
/
Qualitative_research
Limite:
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
País como assunto:
Europa
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2019
Tipo de documento:
Article