Clinical Trial: Drop in Gastroscopy - Experience After 9 Months
Study Status: Completed
Recruit Status: Completed
Study Type: Observational
Official Title: Drop in Gastroscopy - Experience After 9 Months
Brief Summary:
The capacity for endoscopical procedures in the Norwegian health system is low in comparison to demands from patients and family practitioners.
The studies aim is to evaluate the acceptance of a new concept: an open access gastroscopy clinic where patients can attend without a preceding appointment.
The investigators wish to evaluate:
- Patient´s satisfaction.
- General practitioner´s satisfaction.
- Acceptance by the staff of the clinic.
Detailed Summary:
The fact that access to specialized norwegian health care is characterized by a mismatch between system´s capacity and patient´s and refering physician´s demands, leads to delay of diagnostic investigations such as for example gastroscopies. Patients referred to gastroscopies have to wait 4 to 12 weeks to get an appointment. Consequence might be a delay in diagnosing of significant diseases such as ulcers or even malignancies. In addition the general practitioner is frequently forced to start a therapy by suspicion, and the patient has in numerable cases to stay off work.
In September 2008, the investigators started an open-access gastroscopy outpatient clinic, which allows the family practitioners in a defined area of the Telemark county to refer their patients to a gastroscopy without a preceding appointment. Patients from the other parts of the county and those, who need special service as i.e. interpreter, endocarditis prophylaxis etc. are referred conventionally and need an appointment.
Aim of the study is to evaluate the acceptance of both forms of outpatient clinics by both patients and general practitioners. In addition to that, the investigators will evaluate the acceptance of the open access clinic by the staff. Of special concern is the fear, that easier access might lead to a number of unnecessary procedures.
All patients from open access clinic and from the conventional clinic are asked to fill in a questionaire without any kind of personal identifying data such as name, age, date of the procedure etc., but with questions about their satisfaction with the procedure, the time from their first contact with their family practitioner to the procedure, the information prior and after the procedure. They will be asked if they did consume drugs against
Sponsor: Norwegian Department of Health and Social Affairs
Current Primary Outcome: Patient´s satisfaction [ Time Frame: Day of the Gastrocopy ]
Original Primary Outcome: Same as current
Current Secondary Outcome: General practitioner´satisfaction [ Time Frame: One month after enrollment of patients ]
Original Secondary Outcome: Same as current
Information By: Norwegian Department of Health and Social Affairs
Dates:
Date Received: May 15, 2009
Date Started: November 2009
Date Completion:
Last Updated: December 29, 2009
Last Verified: December 2009
