Do medical outpatients want 'out of hours' clinics?
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Patient choice is a major theme in current healthcare delivery. Little is known about patients' wishes regarding the timing of medical outpatient clinics.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A questionnaire survey of 3...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2005-06-01
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| Series: | BMC Health Services Research |
| Online Access: | http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6963/5/47 |
| Summary: | <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Patient choice is a major theme in current healthcare delivery. Little is known about patients' wishes regarding the timing of medical outpatient clinics.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A questionnaire survey of 300 sequential patients attending cardiac and respiratory clinics to determine patients preferences for out of hours and weekend outpatient clinics. (Out of hours defined as a clinic after 5 pm on Mon – Fri)</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Two hundred and 64 patients completed the survey of which 165 (62.5%) wanted either an out of hours clinics or a weekend clinic. Sixty four (38.8%) specifically stated that this was because of work commitments but for many others, the reasons given were easy to justify.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Current provision for outpatient consultation may not be convenient for many patients with heart and lung disease. A fuller evaluation of the cost and benefits of more flexible clinic hours is now needed.</p> |
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| ISSN: | 1472-6963 |