Open access follow up for inflammatory bowel disease: pragmatic randomised trial and cost effectiveness study
Open access follow-up for patients with stable inflammatory bowel disease delivers the same quality of care as routine outpatient appointments, is preferred by patients and general practitioners and would save the average consultant in gastroenterology 25 - 50 outpatient visits per year. This is the conclusion of a two-year long randomised trial and cost effectiveness study conducted by J G Williams et al at the School of Postgraduate Studies in Medical and Health Care, at Morriston Hospital in Swansea, studying patients from Morriston and Neath hospitals.
The patients registered a strong preference for open access, feeling it appropriate to attend only when ill. General practitioners also preferred open access but some patients experienced difficulty in making urgent appointments. Effective methods are needed to overcome this difficulty and the favoured solution is the employment of a specialist nurse practitioner to organise patient access.
Contact:
J G Williams, Director, School of Postgraduate Studies in Medical and Health Care, Morriston Hospital, Swansea SA6 6NL Email: john.williams@pgms.wales.nhs.uk