Key result
Immediate discharge to general practice follow-up was as clinically effective as outpatient care, with no difference in mortality, and reduced patient travel and treatment time (82 vs 113 min).
Why the study?
Does immediate discharge to general practice improve clinical and economic outcomes in surgical patients compared to out-patient follow-up?
Population
909 patients undergoing any one of 29 defined surgical procedures recruited from two general surgery wards…
Comparison
Immediate discharge to general practice for… vs Follow-up care in the out-patient clinic
Design
RCT, Randomized to follow-up care in the out-patient clinic or in general…
Follow-up
minimum of six months
Authors
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Supports immediate GP discharge after surgery; confirms RCT equivalence while extending to reduced patient time and travel.
RCT (n=909)
randomized
No
Does immediate discharge to general practice improve clinical and economic outcomes in surgical patients compared to out-patient follow-up?
General practice-based follow-up for surgical patients is as clinically effective as outpatient care, with slightly lower costs and higher patient preference.
Florey et al. (1994) conducted an RCT in Surgical patients (n=909). Immediate discharge to general practice follow-up vs. Out-patient clinic follow-up was evaluated on Clinical effectiveness (morbidity and mortality), economic costs, patient benefits and satisfaction, and GPs' opinions. Immediate discharge to general practice follow-up was as clinically effective as outpatient care, with no difference in mortality, and reduced patient travel and treatment time (82 vs 113 min).
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