Attitudes to follow-up after uncomplicated surgery--hospital out-patients or general practitioner?
The attitude of 216 patients, 10 hospital doctors and 80 general practitioners (GPs) to hospital follow-up after uncomplicated surgery for non-malignant disease was assessed. Hospital doctors felt that most patients (86%) could have been satisfactorily followed-up by their GP and in most cases (89%), the GP was willing to provide the service. However, 183 patients (85%) found their visit to hospital out-patients worthwhile and only 41 patients (19%) would have preferred to have visited their GP instead. In fact, 157 patients (73%) had already seen their GP before their return to surgical out-patients. In most cases, hospital follow-up appears to be unnecessary. In this series, if suitable post-operative patients were followed-up by their GP, there would be a reduction of 20% in the number of old patients returning to out-patients.
D003266:Continuity of Patient Care; D004739:England; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006748:Hospital Departments / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D010045:Outpatients; D010821:Physicians, Family; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000379:methods*; D011320:Primary Health Care; D013503:Surgery Department, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative