Resource implications of a knee referral.

INTRODUCTION

The latest government targets state that by the end of 2005 the maximum waiting time for an outpatient appointment will be 3 months. These recommendations will not only increase the size of the outpatient clinics, but also the resources required thereafter. The purpose of this study was to analyse the outcome of new patient referrals to one knee outpatient service in order to quantify the resources required to investigate and treat these patients.

METHOD

All new patients attending one consultant's knee outpatient service in the time period January 1st 1997 to December 31st 1997 were prospectively entered into a database recording patient details, source of referral and diagnosis. Eighteen months after the time period a cohort of 200 patients was randomly selected and the case notes were analysed. The number of outpatient appointment episodes, MRI scans, physiotherapy referrals and surgical episodes generated were recorded for each patient.

RESULTS

Analysis of the initial database records show that a total of 662 new knee referrals were seen in 1997. Fifty-two percent (341) were made up of the five most common diagnoses, these being osteoarthritis, anterior knee pain, anterior cruciate ligament injury, medial ligament injury and medial meniscus injury. Retrospective analysis of the 200 patient notes revealed that these patients required a total of 499 outpatient episodes, 43 MRI scans, 180 courses of physiotherapy and 93 surgical episodes (53 elective and 40 emergency). These figures can be used to predict the resources that would be required by all new patients seen in an outpatient knee service in a year.

DISCUSSION

Each new patient that enters the cycle of investigation followed by treatment must be met by extra resources. If this does not occur the net result will be that although government targets may be met, the time taken to complete each patient episode will become longer. It is imperative that before an agreement is made to see new patients the resources required to manage them are in place.