INTRODUCTION: The conventional job descriptions of professionals within the NHS need to evolve in order to meet increasingly stringent targets and demands. One innovation is the introduction of a physiotherapist-led arthroplasty follow-up clinic. We present an audit of 1000 appointments to this clinic. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 865 patients were seen with 933 arthroplasties over an 8-month period; 135 appointments were not attended. Prospective data were collected at each attendance. RESULTS: Less than 7.5% of patients required re-referral to an orthopaedic consultant, of which 36% were for consideration for further joint replacement. The cost of a physiotherapy appointment was pound4.97 compared to pound5.04 for a traditional orthopaedic assessment. By reducing the number of follow-up patients seen in orthopaedic clinics, we estimate that each consultant would be able to see two additional new patients per week. CONCLUSIONS: Assessment of arthroplasty follow-up outside of the traditional orthopaedic clinic setting is a time-effective alternative; however, the cost-benefit and educational impact is less clear.
INTRODUCTION: The conventional job descriptions of professionals within the NHS need to evolve in order to meet increasingly stringent targets and demands. One innovation is the introduction of a physiotherapist-led arthroplasty follow-up clinic. We present an audit of 1000 appointments to this clinic. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 865 patients were seen with 933 arthroplasties over an 8-month period; 135 appointments were not attended. Prospective data were collected at each attendance. RESULTS: Less than 7.5% of patients required re-referral to an orthopaedic consultant, of which 36% were for consideration for further joint replacement. The cost of a physiotherapy appointment was pound4.97 compared to pound5.04 for a traditional orthopaedic assessment. By reducing the number of follow-up patients seen in orthopaedic clinics, we estimate that each consultant would be able to see two additional new patients per week. CONCLUSIONS: Assessment of arthroplasty follow-up outside of the traditional orthopaedic clinic setting is a time-effective alternative; however, the cost-benefit and educational impact is less clear.
Authors: G Daker-White; A J Carr; I Harvey; G Woolhead; G Bannister; I Nelson; M Kammerling Journal: J Epidemiol Community Health Date: 1999-10 Impact factor: 3.710