Translating ‘See-and-Treat’ to primary care: opening the gates does not cause a floodShow others and affiliations
2019 (English)In: International Journal for Quality in Health Care, ISSN 1353-4505, E-ISSN 1464-3677, Vol. 31, no 7, p. 30-36Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
Objective: To explore how the See-and-Treat concept can be applied in primary care and its effect on volume and productivity. Design: An explanatory single-case study design with a mixed methods approach and presented according to the SQUIRE 2.0 guidelines. Setting: A publicly-funded, private primary care provider within the Stockholm County, which caters to a diverse patient population in terms of ethnicity, religion, socioeconomic status and care needs. Participants: CEO, center manager, four physicians, two licensed practical nurses, one medical secretary and one lab assistant. Intervention: A See-and-Treat unit was established to offer same-day service for acute unplanned visits. Standardized patient symptom forms were created that allowed patients to self-triage and then enter into a streamlined care process consisting of a quick diagnostic lab and a physician visit. Main Outcome Measures: Volume, productivity, staff perceptions and patient satisfaction were measured through data on number and type of contacts per 1000 listed patients, visits per physician, observations, interviews and a questionnaire. Results: A significant decrease in the acute and total number of visits, a continued trend of diminishing telephone contacts, and a non-significant increase in physician productivity. Patients were very satisfied, and staff perceived an improved quality of care. Conclusions: See-and-Treat appears to be a viable approach for a specific primary care patient segment interested in acute same-day-service. Opening up access and standardizing care made it possible to efficiently address these needs and engage patients. © 2019 The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press in association with the International Society for Quality in Health Care.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Cary, NC: Oxford University Press, 2019. Vol. 31, no 7, p. 30-36
Keywords [en]
See-and-treat, primary care, quality improvement, standardization, patient engagement
National Category
Health Care Service and Management, Health Policy and Services and Health Economy
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:hh:diva-47082DOI: 10.1093/intqhc/mzy244ISI: 000515087500005PubMedID: 30624735Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85074623408OAI: oai:DiVA.org:hh-47082DiVA, id: diva2:1669537
2022-06-142022-06-142022-06-20Bibliographically approved