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Are patients bypassing paediatric cardiology outreach clinics?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 January 2017

Alexander Fletcher
Affiliation:
Level 1, Neonatology, Royal Hospital for Children Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland
Ray Samson
Affiliation:
Cardiac, Critical Care, Theatre and Neonatal Services, , Royal Hospital for Children Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland
Karen McLeod*
Affiliation:
Paediatric Cardiology, Ward 1E, Royal Hospital for Children Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland
*
Correspondence to: K. McLeod, Paediatric Cardiology, Ward 1E, Royal Hospital for Children Glasgow, 1345 Govan Road, Glasgow G51 4TF, Scotland. Tel: 0141 201 1000; Fax: 0141 201 2215; E-mail: Karen.McLeod@ggc.scot.nhs.uk

Abstract

Previous studies have identified that receiving specialist care close to home can positively influence patients’ experience. Despite this, a review of cardiology outpatient appointments at the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow demonstrated that a large number of families are bypassing their local children’s cardiology centre to attend cardiac clinics at the specialist children’s surgical centre. We used patient questionnaire, audit of local facilities, and examined the relationship between diagnosis and bypass numbers to better understand factors influencing this trend. Our results suggest that patient preference, short travelling distance to specialist children’s cardiac centre, a more severe cardiac diagnosis, and inconsistent local facilities, expertise, and support are likely to influence a family’s decision to bypass their local children’s cardiology centre.

Type
Brief Report
Copyright
© Cambridge University Press 2017 

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