PDF(Pubmed)
Abstract：
Patients referred by their general practitioner (GP) with a definite diagnosis, for example, recurrent sore throat for consideration of tonsillectomy in adults, may wait for months without receiving any further clinical information from the hospital until their outpatient consultation. Prompt provision of condition-specific information after referral has received little attention despite considerable potential to enhance patients\' understanding, thereby relieving uncertainty and anxiety, and facilitating shared decision-making.This study aimed to report the experience of patients with recurrent tonsillitis who had been sent a booklet outlining the benefits and risks of tonsillectomy immediately after GP referral.Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board received 218 referrals of patients aged 16-40 to discuss tonsillectomy between January and August 2022. Every patient was sent a 16-page booklet by post and given the choice to opt in for a consultation.165 (76%) patients opted in, and 53 (24%) did not. Feedback was obtained from 143 patients (66%) from both groups. 99% found the information booklet easy to understand, 97% would recommend it to a friend with recurrent tonsillitis, 93% felt their questions had been answered and 92% believed it helped them to decide whether to proceed with tonsillectomy. Socioeconomic deprivation did not influence the outcome.In conclusion, most patients found provision of clinical information immediately after vetting of the referral to be beneficial, irrespective of whether they opted in for a consultation. This concept has broad applicability across all specialties, and the principles can be readily adopted and adapted by clinicians and managers in local units.
摘要：
由全科医生（GP）转诊并明确诊断的患者，例如,考虑成人扁桃体切除术的复发性咽喉痛，可能会等待几个月，而没有从医院收到任何进一步的临床信息，直到他们的门诊会诊。尽管在提高患者的理解方面有相当大的潜力，但转诊后迅速提供特定于疾病的信息却很少受到关注，从而缓解不确定性和焦虑，促进共同决策。这项研究旨在报告复发性扁桃体炎患者的经验，这些患者已收到小册子，概述了GP转诊后立即进行扁桃体切除术的益处和风险。大格拉斯哥和克莱德健康委员会在2022年1月至8月期间接受了218名16-40岁患者的转诊，以讨论扁桃体切除术。每位患者都被邮寄了一份16页的小册子，并可以选择接受咨询。165名(76%)患者选择了接受咨询，53（24%）没有。从两组的143名患者（66％）获得反馈。99%的人找到了容易理解的信息手册，97%的人会推荐给患有复发性扁桃体炎的朋友，93%的人认为他们的问题已经得到了回答，92%的人认为这有助于他们决定是否继续进行扁桃体切除术。社会经济贫困并不影响结果。总之,大多数患者在审核转诊后立即发现提供临床信息是有益的，无论他们是否选择咨询。这个概念在所有专业都具有广泛的适用性，这些原则可以很容易地被当地单位的临床医生和管理人员采用和改编。
