Implementing a patient-led service for chronic conditions.
Many chronic conditions with fluctuating levels of disease activity are traditionally managed by lifelong regular medical reviews. However, this means appointments do not always coincide with patient need, while the volume of reviews makes it difficult to respond quickly to requests for help. Research in rheumatoid arthritis suggests that hospital-initiated reviews can be replaced by patient-initiated reviews, supported by nurse-led initiatives.
Pope
Denise
D
Rheumatology Centre, Bristol Royal Infirmary.
Tipler
Sue
S
Kirwan
John
J
Hewlett
Sarah
S
D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities / Q000458:organization & administration; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000451:nursing / Q000628:therapy*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D019468:Disease Management; D015277:Hotlines; D006801:Humans; D009731:Nursing Audit; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010358:Patient Participation