Shared medical appointments for kidney stone patients are more beneficial than individual appointments, according to researchers from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison.
Shared medical appointments for kidney stone patients are more beneficial than individual appointments, according to researchers from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison.
In the first example of shared medical appointments at a dedicated kidney stone clinic, physicians were able to cut wait times, increase patient education, increase time spent on initial evaluations, and provide greater access to nutritionists, study authors reported at the National Kidney Foundation’s 2013 Spring Clinical Meetings Orlando, FL.
"With new health care laws coming into effect, physicians and insurers are looking at ways to increase access and education while simultaneously improving productivity," said lead researcher Allan Jhagroo, MD. "Our pilot program not only reduced wait times, but increased education and patient satisfaction."
As the only dedicated kidney stone clinic in the state, appointments at the University of Wisconsin would often be booked out 180 days in advance. Many patients who did make their appointments had a poor record of compliance with nutritional advice and medications.
"Previous studies have shown that the further removed a patient is from his or her kidney stone event, the less likely he is to do something about it, and the more likely he is to experience recurring kidney stones," Dr. Jhargoo said.
In the shared medical appointment program, groups of less than 10 patients were given 60- to 90-minute appointments. Each appointment included general kidney stone and kidney disease education, individual lab value assessments, and nutritional information based on each patient’s needs.
According to initial findings, appointment wait times were reduced to less than 90 days and the amount of patients receiving nutrition advice increased from 40% to 70%. Researchers also found that those in the shared medical appointments had, on average, better knowledge of the causes and treatments of kidney stones and were more satisfied (90% rated the SMA as excellent) than those who scheduled individual appointments.
Related Content
Group visits for urology deliver efficiency, patient satisfaction
Bundled payment program covers kidney stone care
July 22nd 2024"One day, we're going to have to move away from fee for service, so we'd be wise to try to navigate those waters ahead of time, so we're not left dealing with the aftermath when someone else has implemented it for us," says Ruchika Talwar, MD.
Destigmatizing Urology: Dr. Winter discusses STDs/STIs
March 22nd 2022“We need to just approach STIs as the medical conditions they are because until we do, and until we take those stigmas away, people will truly have resistance to discussing it, hesitance to discussing it, and resistance to diagnosis and intervention,” says Ashley Winter, MD.
Study examines patient knowledge of urinary tract infections
July 11th 2024"The objective of this study was to assess baseline knowledge about urinary tract infections, interest in health resources, and platform preferences for health information acquisition and dissemination," says Stephanie Gleicher, MD.
Burden of care for recurrent UTI is higher for female urologists
June 15th 2024"What we believe is happening is women are seeking the help of female urologists, and therefore, because of the nature of the condition, the female urologists are absorbing the burden of the care of these patients, particularly the non-billable burden," says Debra L. Fromer, MD.
Bundled payment program covers kidney stone care
July 22nd 2024"One day, we're going to have to move away from fee for service, so we'd be wise to try to navigate those waters ahead of time, so we're not left dealing with the aftermath when someone else has implemented it for us," says Ruchika Talwar, MD.
Destigmatizing Urology: Dr. Winter discusses STDs/STIs
March 22nd 2022“We need to just approach STIs as the medical conditions they are because until we do, and until we take those stigmas away, people will truly have resistance to discussing it, hesitance to discussing it, and resistance to diagnosis and intervention,” says Ashley Winter, MD.
Study examines patient knowledge of urinary tract infections
July 11th 2024"The objective of this study was to assess baseline knowledge about urinary tract infections, interest in health resources, and platform preferences for health information acquisition and dissemination," says Stephanie Gleicher, MD.
Burden of care for recurrent UTI is higher for female urologists
June 15th 2024"What we believe is happening is women are seeking the help of female urologists, and therefore, because of the nature of the condition, the female urologists are absorbing the burden of the care of these patients, particularly the non-billable burden," says Debra L. Fromer, MD.
2 Commerce Drive
Cranbury, NJ 08512