Peconi J, Snooks H, Cheung WY, Rance J, Munro J, Williams A; Health Technology Assessment International. Meeting (2nd : 2005 : Rome, Italy).
Ital J Public Health. 2005; 2: 231.
Swansea Clinical School, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea, SA2 8PP Wales Tel: 01792 513417, Fax: 01792 513423, E-mail: j.peconi@swansea.ac.uk
Objective: To assess the appropriateness of advice and healthcare contacts made following calls to NHS Direct Wales (NHSDW), a nurse-led telephone-based healthcare advice and information service. Methods: Postal questionnaires were sent to samples of callers to NHSDW in spring 2002 and winter 2004 to determine callers' views on appropriateness and their actions following their call. For each sample, an independent clinical panel agreed and applied a set of rules about sites of care where examinations, investigations, treatments and referrals could be obtained. Subsequent contacts to healthcare services were then classified in terms of 'necessariness and sufficiency' based on reported care received. Results: Response rates were similar in each survey: 1033/1897 (54.5%); 606/1204 (50.3%), with 75% reporting they had contacted NHSDW. In each survey, no gender differences were found between respondents and non-respondents, although respondents were more likely to be older (p<0.01). The majority of callers reported that the advice given was appropriate and the panel method found that most subsequent healthcare contacts were appropriate [ table:see text]. Conclusions: Although caller and panel ratings of appropriateness are high, the challenge for NHSDW is to reduce the number of unnecessary contacts made following calls to the service, whilst maintaining safety.
Publication Types:
Keywords:
- After-Hours Care
- Counseling
- Data Collection
- Delivery of Health Care
- Evaluation Studies
- Health Care Costs
- Health Services Accessibility
- Information Services
- Patient Compliance
- Patient Satisfaction
- Questionnaires
- Referral and Consultation
- Telephone
- Wales
- economics
- methods
- hsrmtgs
UI: 103141330
From Meeting Abstracts