How reconfiguration of a minor injuries unit has affected service delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic: a retrospective analysis
| Autor: | H, Akhtar, J, Lorimer, R, Gray, S, Potluri, R, Bhati, J, Williamson, A, Doorgakant |
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| Rok vydání: | 2023 |
| Předmět: | |
| Zdroj: | The Annals of The Royal College of Surgeons of England. 105:178-182 |
| ISSN: | 1478-7083 0035-8843 |
| Popis: | Introduction Redeployment of orthopaedic consultants to a minor injuries unit (MIU) during the COVID-19 pandemic provided a unique opportunity to assess the impact of early senior specialist input on patient management. Methods Patient demographics, diagnosis, location of injury and disposal method were compared between three 7-day periods: during the April 2020 COVID-19 lockdown (period A), one month prior to period A (period B) and one year prior to period A (period C). Orthopaedic consultants staffed the MIU during period A, and emergency nurse practitioners staffed the MIU during periods B and C. Results Period A witnessed higher injury severity either due to modified activities or altered healthcare-seeking behaviour during lockdown. For fractures, compared with periods B and C, period A saw a lower rate of referral to fracture clinic (41% vs 100% vs 86%, pConclusion Early senior orthopaedic input in the patient journey from MIU had clear benefits, this being most true for fracture diagnoses. Earlier definitive management planning was observed as lower rates of fracture clinic referral, higher rates of discharge and deferred first fracture clinic reviews. This study highlights the benefits of greater partnership between MIU and orthopaedics. As the pandemic subsides and redeployed staff return to normal duties, a modification of this model could be utilised to ensure this partnership is sustainable. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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