Audit on continuity of care and follow-up duration in interstitial lung diseases outpatient clinics
Continuity of care (CoC) is a cornerstone of primary care that has been promoted by recent trends in medical education and healthcare delivery.1 Continuity refers to ‘care over time by a single individual or team of healthcare professionals and to effectively communicate all health information’.2 In...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Future Healthcare Journal |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2514664525001560 |
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| Summary: | Continuity of care (CoC) is a cornerstone of primary care that has been promoted by recent trends in medical education and healthcare delivery.1 Continuity refers to ‘care over time by a single individual or team of healthcare professionals and to effectively communicate all health information’.2 Increased CoC enhances patient satisfaction, decreases hospitalisations and reduces emergency department visits.1 This audit evaluated whether follow-up appointments in interstitial lung disease (ILD) outpatient clinics aligned with recommendations of CoC with the same physician. Data were collected from outpatient clinics. Introduction: CoC implies the delivery of services in a coherent, logical and timely manner. In outpatient settings, seeing the same physician in follow-up clinics ensures familiarity with patient history, leading to more efficient and effective care. This audit aimed to assess whether patients were followed up with the same physician and whether the duration between follow-ups adhered to recommended standards. Methods: A retrospective audit was conducted in the ILD outpatient clinic by randomly selecting patients over a 3-month period. Inclusion criteria included patients requiring follow-up for ILDs. Data were extracted from electronic health records, focusing on: (1) whether patients saw the same physician for follow-up; (2) the duration between follow-up visits; and (3) compliance with recommendations of CoC. Results: A total of 62 patients were included in the audit. Key findings included: (1) 57% of patients were seen by the same physician in follow-up clinics (Fig 1); (2) The average follow-up duration was 3–6 months and up to 9 months in non-urgent cases, aligning with clinical guidelines (Fig 2); (3) 70% of patients were followed up without delay; (4) The audit demonstrated high adherence to recommended practices for continuity of care. Discussion: CoC is considered a vital part of modern healthcare provision and is included as an indicator of quality of care in national health policy in the UK and internationally.2,3 The continuity of patient care, where care is both coherent over time and across settings, is a critical feature necessary to ensure high-quality outcomes.4 The findings suggest good adherence to recommendations of CoC in outpatient follow-ups.1 Ensuring that patients consistently see the same physician can improve communication and fluency of clinical decision-making. The audit highlights the effectiveness of current practices in maintaining continuity. Potential areas for improvement include further optimising clinic scheduling systems to maintain high adherence rates. Future audits could explore patient perspectives on continuity and the challenges of maintaining consistent follow-up with the same physician.3 Conclusion: This audit confirms that outpatient clinics generally follow recommendations for CoC and follow-up duration. Further efforts should focus on sustaining and enhancing adherence to these guidelines to support efficient patient management. |
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| ISSN: | 2514-6645 |