Endocrine Abstracts

Hyperthyroidism due to Graves’ disease (GD) is traditionally managed in the secondary care ambulatory setting. Conventionally patients are required to attend for regular review at 4–12 weekly intervals, presenting practical difficulties for many adults. Nurse-led Telephone Consultations are gaining momentum in the care of long-term conditions. This Service Development Project (SDP) addressed whether or not a specialist nurse delivered telephone consultation could be utilised in patients with GD whilst maintaining patient accessibility and acceptability. The SDP evaluation included assessment of attendance rates before and after the introduction of the telephone consultation service (Table 1) and a patient satisfaction questionnaire using validated Picker questions to assess the patient’s experience of Face to Face and Telephone consultations. Patient Satisfaction Data Overall the general satisfaction scores were high in both groups and no negative responses were recorded. Face to Face Satisfaction: Excellent 46% (n=25), Very Good 30% (n=16), Good 18% (n=10) and Fair 6% (n=3). Telephone Satisfaction: Excellent 57% (n=20), Very Good 29% (n=10), Good 11% (n=4). The Telephone Consultation has provided flexibility, convenience and accessibility for patients requiring follow-up of GD. Attendance rates were similar for Face to Face and Telephone follow-up with high levels of satisfaction reported in both groups. Further studies will compare the clinical effectiveness of the Telephone Consultation Service with the established model of structured Face-to-Face visits.

Declaration of interest: There is no conflict of interest that could be perceived as prejudicing the impartiality of the research reported.

Funding: No specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sector.

Table 1