title: [Patient orientation clinic: an initiative to reduce waiting lists].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The patient orientation clinic (POC), acting as a filter, is an initiative aimed at reducing the waiting lists for medical specialities.
  
  
  METHODS
  For a six-months period, an internist and a registered nurse attended 1,265 patients proposed for those specialties.
  
  
  RESULTS
  85.7% of cases were referred to their general practitioners after evaluation at our clinic. The remaining patients (14.3%) went on and frecuently benefited from initial therapies or because complementary tests and/or examinations were arranged for and earlier date.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  POC is shaping as a promising tool for health resource management in reducing waiting lists in medical specialties.
authors.affiliation: Hospital Francesc de Borja. Gandía. Valencia. Spain.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sanchís-Bayarri Bernal
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rull Segura
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Moral López
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: García Ferrer
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Aparisi Romero
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Escandón Alvarez
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008511:Medicine / Q000458:organization & administration*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010346:Patient Care Management / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D013030:Spain; D013038:Specialization; D014850:Waiting Lists