title: Specific timely appointments for triage reduced waiting lists in an outpatient physiotherapy service.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Waiting lists with triage systems are commonly used in outpatient physiotherapy but may not be effective. Could an alternative model of access and triage reduce waiting times over a sustained period with no additional resources?
  
  
  METHODS
  Observational study comparing retrospective data for 11 months prior to the introduction of a new model of access compared with data for the equivalent 11 months afterwards.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients referred to a physiotherapy outpatient department at an outer metropolitan hospital before (n=721) and after (n=707) the introduction of the new model.
  
  
  METHODS
  A model of access and triage known as 'specific timely appointments for triage' (STAT), in which appointment slots are preserved in advance specifically for new patients based on calculation of average demand.
  
  
  METHODS
  Time from referral to first assessment, number of appointments per patient, occasions of non-attendance and total length of stay in the service.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median time from referral to first appointment was 18 days [interquartile range (IQR) 11 to 33 days] in the pre-intervention group, compared with 14 days (IQR 9 to 21 days) in the post-intervention group (P<0.01). The number of physiotherapy appointments also reduced (IQR 2 to 6 vs IQR 1 to 4; P<0.01). There were no changes in non-attendance rates or total time in the service.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Waiting time for outpatient physiotherapy was 22% lower in the year following the introduction of the STAT model. While acknowledging the limitations of a pre- and post-measurement design, this model may have potential for reducing waiting times for outpatient physiotherapy without additional resources.
authors.affiliation: Allied Health Clinical Research Office, Eastern Health, Box Hill, VIC, Australia. Electronic address: katherine.harding@easternhealth.org.au.
authors.forename: K E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Harding
authors.affiliation: Physiotherapy Department, Maroondah Hospital, Ringwood East, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bottrell
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001071:Appointments and Schedules; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D014218:Triage / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014850:Waiting Lists
keywords: Ambulatory care; Appointments and schedules; Health services accessibility; Triage; Waiting lists