Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by KIRWAN, J. R.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by KIRWAN, J. R.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© 1991 British Society for Rheumatology

other

WHICH PATIENTS SEE A RHEUMATOLOGIST?

J. R. KIRWAN and S. M. SNOW FOR THE SWRACR*

Rheumatology Unit, University Department of Medicine, Bristol Royal Infirmary Bristol BS2 8HW
*South Western Regional Advisory Committee on Rheumatology: T. Thould (Chairman), C. Cooper. P. Dieppe, P. Hickling, P. Hollingsworth, C. Hutton, R. Jacoby, J. Kirwan. T. Palferman. J. Woodland. A. Woolf. D. Yates

Correspondence to: Correspondence to Dr J. Kirwan

Rheumatology outpatient consultations were recorded throughout the South Western Regional Health Authority for one month. Of 2987 consultations (equivalent to 32600 annually), 630 (21%) were new referrals who waited 60 days (mode) before their consultation. Rheumatoid arthritis and polyarthritis accounted for 43% of new referrals and 75% of follow-up patients. For these categories, 6.5 follow-up patients were seen for each new referral, but this ratio varied from 3.7 to 11.7. Other diagnoses also had variable patterns of follow-up but because they represented only a small proportion they were less relevant to overall service provision and resource consumption. These data not only outline current outpatient working patterns but also indicate areas of further investigation which might elucidate methods of providing good patient care and appropriate use of resources.

KEY WORDS: Audit, Service provision, Referral patterns, Resource allocation, Health service research


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Rheumatology (Oxford)Home page
H. L. Mitchell, A. J. Carr, and D. L. Scott
The management of knee pain in primary care: factors associated with consulting the GP and referrals to secondary care
Rheumatology, June 1, 2006; 45(6): 771 - 776.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 BMJHome page
S. Hewlett, J. Kirwan, J. Pollock, K. Mitchell, M. Hehir, P. S Blair, D. Memel, and M. G Perry
Patient initiated outpatient follow up in rheumatoid arthritis: six year randomised controlled trial
BMJ, January 22, 2005; 330(7484): 171.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Rheumatology (Oxford)Home page
J. R. Kirwan, H. Averns, P. Creamer, M. Davies, P. Hickling, C. Hutton, R. Jacoby, V. Kyle, C. Laversuch, T. Palferman, et al.
Changes in rheumatology out-patient workload over 12 years in the South West of England
Rheumatology, January 1, 2003; 42(1): 175 - 179.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Rheumatology (Oxford)Home page
J. Guilar, I. Wamuo, E. H. S. Choy, M. Hossain, and D. L. Scott
Who is referred for specialist rheumatology care?
Rheumatology, November 1, 2000; 39(11): 1292 - 1294.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Rheumatology (Oxford)Home page
S. Hewlett, K. Mitchell, J. Haynes, T. Paine, E. Korendowych, and J. R. Kirwan
Patient-initiated hospital follow-up for rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatology, September 1, 2000; 39(9): 990 - 997.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Rheumatology (Oxford)Home page
J. Hetthen and P. S. Helliwell
A comparison between primary care-led rheumatology services and secondary care provision
Rheumatology, December 1, 1999; 38(12): 1294 - 1295.
[Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.