Integrating dermatologists in primary care: impact on delays, patient and professional experiences
Kuvaus
Abstract Background Primary healthcare centres are burdened by the management of patients with skin conditions, while general practitioners might lack the expertise to assess skin changes accurately. The traditional care chain for skin findings is a multistage process that can cause delayed diagnosis and treatment, distressing the patient. This study aimed to determine whether adding a dermatologist to the primary care team would streamline the care pathway of patients with skin conditions, while examining levels of satisfaction among patients and healthcare professionals. Methods A quasi-experimental multicentre study was conducted in three primary health centres in Finland. A dermatologist was integrated into two of the centres (intervention) but not the third (control). Data on timing of diagnosis and treatment and number of contacts were collected from records and analysed per care path. The Patient Enablement Instrument (PEI) and Net Promoter Score (NPS) were used to measure the patient’s experience of the appointment. NPS and professional satisfaction queries were used to measure professional satisfaction. Results In total 186 intervention and 176 control patients were included, with 38 primary care professionals. Compared with the control group, the intervention group showed a significantly shorter time to confirmed diagnosis and to treatment start (25 vs. 49 days, p
Näytä enemmänJulkaisuvuosi
2024
Aineiston tyyppi
Tekijät
Oulu University Hospital - Muu tekijä
University of Helsinki - Muu tekijä
University of Oulu - Muu tekijä
figshare - Julkaisija
Projekti
Muut tiedot
Tieteenalat
Muut yhteiskuntatieteet
Kieli
Saatavuus
Avoin