The prescribing and follow-up of domiciliary oxygen--whose responsibility? A survey of prescribing from primary care.
Domiciliary oxygen is expensive and is frequently used outside the prescribing guidelines, which include the need for blood oxygen measures, a hospital-based facility. Ongoing prescriptions are generally provided by general practitioners (GPs). A survey in the north-east of England found that the origin of the initial prescription was often obscure and that there was no record of the responsible clinician or of structured follow-up for the majority of patients. Many patients received oxygen outside the prescribing guidelines. There is a need for better organised, conjoint follow-up of patients on domiciliary oxygen.
Hungin
A Pali
AP
Centre for Integrated Health Care Research, Wolfson Research Institute, University of Durham.
Chinn
David J
DJ
Convery
Bernie
B
Dean
Charles
C
Cornford
Charles S
CS
Russell
Andrew
A
D000368:Aged; D002303:Cardiac Output, Low / Q000628:therapy; D004739:England; D005194:Family Practice / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010102:Oxygen Inhalation Therapy / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000628:therapy; D011660:Pulmonary Heart Disease / Q000628:therapy