Author/Editor		van Baar, JD; Joosten, H; Car, J; Freeman, GK; Partridge, MR; van Weel, C; Sheikh, A
Title		Understanding reasons for asthma outpatient (non)-attendance and exploring the role of telephone and e-consulting in facilitating access to care: exploratory qualitative study
Type		članek
Source		Qual Saf Health Care Online
Vol. and No.		Letnik 15
Publication year		2006
Volume		str. 191-5
Language		eng
Abstract		Objective: To understand factors influencing patients' decisions to attend for outpatient follow up consultations for asthma and to explore patients attitudes to telephone and email consultations in facilitating access to asthma care. Design: Exploratory qualitative study using in depth interviews. Setting: Hospital outpatient clinic in West London. Participants: Nineteen patients with moderate to severe asthma (12 "attenders" and 7 "non-attenders). Results: Patients main reasons for attending were the wish to improve control over asthma symptoms and a concern not to jeopardise the valued relationship with their doctor. Memory lapses, poor health, and disillusionment with the structure of outpatient care were important factors implicated in non-attendance. The patients were generally sceptical about the suggestion that greater opportunity for telephone consulting might improve access to care. They expressed concerns about the difficulties in effectively communicating through non-face to face media and were worried that clinicians would not be in a position to perform an adequate physical examination over the telephone. Email and text messaging were viewed as potentially useful for sending appointment reminders and sharing clinical information but were not considered to be acceptable alternatives to the face to face clinic encounter. (Abstract truncated at 2000 characters)
Descriptors		OUTPATIENT CLINICS, HOSPITAL REMOTE CONSULTATION APPOINTMENTS AND SCHEDULES ASTHMA HEALTH SERVICES ACCESSIBILITY AGE FACTORS SEX FACTORS MOTIVATION PATIENT ACCEPTANCE OF HEALTH CARE PATIENT DROPOUTS TELEPHONE TIME FACTORS TREATMENT REFUSAL GREAT BRITAIN