The journal of family planning and reproductive health care
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J Fam Plann Reprod Health Care · Oct 2009
Multicenter StudyEffect of self-triage on waiting times at a walk-in sexual health clinic.
Lengthy waiting times can be a major problem in walk-in sexual health clinics. They are stressful for both patients and staff and may lead to clients with significant health issues leaving the department before being seen by a clinician. A self-triage system may help reduce waiting times and duplication of work, improve patient pathways and decrease wasted visits. This paper describes implementation of a self-triage system in two busy sexual and reproductive health clinics. Patients were asked to complete a self-assessment form on registration to determine the reason for attendance. This then enabled patients to be directed to the most appropriate specialist or clinical service. The benefits of this approach were determined by measuring patient waiting times, reduction in unnecessary specialist review together with patient acceptability as tested by a patient satisfaction survey. The ease of comprehension of the triage form was also assessed by an independent readers' panel. ⋯ Self-triage can effectively reduce clinic waiting times and allow better organisation of resources. Urgent cases can be prioritised. This process appears to be acceptable to and understandable by patients.