Integrating dermatologists in primary care: impact on delays, patient and professional experiences
Beskrivning
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
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2024
Typ av data
Upphovspersoner
Oulu University Hospital - Medarbetare
University of Helsinki - Medarbetare
University of Oulu - Medarbetare
figshare - Utgivare
Projekt
Övriga uppgifter
Vetenskapsområden
Övriga samhällsvetenskaper
Språk
Öppen tillgång
Öppet