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Audit of frequent attendees to an ENT emergency clinic

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2009

S J C Fishpool ,
E Stanton ,
E-K Chawishly  and
L A C Hicklin
S J C Fishpool*
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Glan Clwyd Hospital, Bodelwyddan, UK
E Stanton
Affiliation:
Medical School, St George's Hospital, London, UK
E-K Chawishly
Affiliation:
Department of Audit, St George's Hospital, London, UK
L A C Hicklin
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, St George's Hospital, London, UK
*
Address for correspondence: Mr Samuel J C Fishpool, Glan Clwyd Hospital, Bodelwyddan LL18 5UJ, UK. Fax: +44 1745 534160 E-mail: samfishpool@gmail.com
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Abstract

Objective:

To audit the number of patients attending an ENT emergency clinic more than twice in the same clinical episode.

Method:

A completed audit cycle. The inclusion criterion for the retrospective arm was patients who had attended the ENT emergency clinic more than twice between 1 September to 30 November 2007. Data were analysed and interventions implemented. The re-audit, using the same inclusion criteria, was done between 1 March to 31 May 2008.

Results:

The initial audit found that 38 patients were seen more than twice in the ENT emergency clinic, giving rise to 81 ‘excess’ clinic appointments. After intervention, the re-audit identified 19 patients who were seen more than twice in the ENT emergency clinic, giving rise to 24 ‘excess’ clinic appointments.

Conclusion:

By insisting that patients seen more than twice in the ENT emergency clinic were reviewed by a senior clinician, and by introducing a management guideline for acute otitis externa, we reduced excess clinic appointments by 70 per cent.

Keywords

Clinical AuditOutpatientsOtolaryngologyEmergencies
Type
Main Articles
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 123 , Issue 11 , November 2009 , pp. 1242 - 1245
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 2009

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References

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