Abstract
ObjectiveTo identify the frequency of misdirected patients in orthopedic outpatient clinics.MethodologyThis was a retrospective study done in a private hospital of Jeddah. Computer records of patients attending the orthopedic outpatient department (OPD) during the period of 2013-2017 were collected. Data were analysed using IBM SPSS version 23 (IBM Corp, Armonk, NY). Descriptive statistics are presented as frequency and percentages.ResultsOut of the 23435 cases, 6944 (29.6%) cases should not be seen primarily in orthopedic clinic, 13638 (58.2%) were the cases that may or may not be seen primarily in orthopedic clinic, whereas, there were 2853 (12.2%) who must be seen mainly by orthopedic specialist.ConclusionThis study revealed that a huge number of patients who visited orthopedic OPD does not need primarily orthopedic consultation. So, it is recommended to direct the patients to the right specialist in outpatient clinics to avoid the unnecessary burden on orthopedic clinics. The triage of referrals or walk-in patients may help to prevent this issue.
Highlights
Orthopedic outpatient department (OPD) waiting lists are usually very long, and a large number of patients visit orthopedic OPD every day
Rheumatologists are internal medicine physicians who focus on autoimmune conditions and the non-surgical treatment of diseases, such as different types of arthritis, where medications alone or with physical therapy can provide the proper management [1]
Our study showed that during the period of 2013-2017, out of 23,435 patients who visited orthopedic outpatient clinics, 6944 (29.6%) patients did not need primarily orthopedic consultation while 13638 (58.2%) patients can be seen by an orthopedic specialist or by some other specialist
Summary
Most of the patients visiting orthopedic OPD do not need to be seen primarily by an orthopedic specialist. Their conditions can be seen and managed by physiotherapists, rheumatologists or family medicine physicians. Orthopedic specialist doctors treat patients with joint and bone problems such as rheumatologists and physiotherapists. Rheumatologists are internal medicine physicians who focus on autoimmune conditions and the non-surgical treatment of diseases, such as different types of arthritis, where medications alone or with physical therapy can provide the proper management [1]. While a physiotherapist is a medical professional who can treat the general joint pain by physical therapy [3]
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