Abstract
Background:
The University of Alberta established a resident-run hand clinic in 2005 to expeditiously manage the growing numbers of patients with traumatic hand injuries. The purpose of this study was to examine the clinical volume and types of cases assessed and treated in the clinic, as well as gauge patient satisfaction with care received.
Methods:
A retrospective chart review and patient satisfaction questionnaire were conducted for patients assessed in the hand clinic in 2015. Demographic data, referral data, and treatment required were recorded. Patients were asked to complete a survey on their experience at the end of their visit.
Results:
A total of 1022 charts were reviewed. The most common reason for referral was a fracture or dislocation (57%), followed by tendon injury (18%). The average wait time to be seen in clinic was 2.97 ± 2.13 days in the winter and 4.12 ± 2.14 days in the summer. Forty-seven percent of patients required splinting, 17% required a procedure, and 21% of patients were referred for surgery. Patient satisfaction on average was 9.29 ± 0.87 on a satisfaction scale of 10.
Conclusion:
In a 6-month period, residents attending hand clinic assessed and treated 1022 patients, providing timely management of acute injuries. A resident-run hand clinic is an effective model to decrease wait times for patients, to decrease time spent assessing nonemergent injuries in the emergency department, and to concentrate hand trauma in a setting conducive to resident training, while still maintaining high patient satisfaction.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
Supplementary Material
Please find the following supplemental material available below.
For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.
For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.
