title: Evaluation of a direct doctor-patient telephone advice line in general practice.
abstract: A general practitioner-staffed direct access telephone advice line was made available for 30 minutes every morning at an inner-London practice to advise patients with urgent problems. Users valued the service, but the impact on surgery consultations was too small for this to be advocated as an alternative to emergency consultations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Primary Care and Population Sciences, Royal Free Hospital.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stuart
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rogers
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Modell
mesh_terms: D005194:Family Practice / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D015277:Hotlines; D006801:Humans; D007256:Information Systems; D008131:London; D008297:Male; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations