TY - JOUR
T1 - Resources spent on dermatological emergency patients: A twelve-month prospective data collection from Germany
AU - Ansorge, Claudia
AU - Miocic, Johannes M.
AU - von Bubnoff, Dagmar
AU - Technau-Hafsi, Kristin
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG). Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
PY - 2019/10/1
Y1 - 2019/10/1
N2 - Background and objectives: Rising numbers of patients consulting emergency units are associated with an increased demand for material and personnel. In order to better quantify these resources, we performed an analysis of diagnostic procedures, treatment types, and the quantity and educational level of staff involved in emergency consultations. Patients and methods: The study was conducted as a prospective single-center survey over twelve months in the dermatology unit of a Germany university hospital. 3155 consultations were included by consecutive sampling. Results: Diagnostic tests (e.g. microbiological swab, blood testing, punch biopsy) were performed in 29 % of all consultations. Physicians prescribed treatment in 70 % of cases, with steroids and antihistamines being the most frequent topical and systemic treatment, respectively. Each patient was seen by at least one physician and a nurse, and in 25 % of cases an additional physician was involved. Less than thirty minutes was required for the consultation in the vast majority of cases. On average, emergency consultations required two hours per day of the treating physician's time, not including the time of other involved staff such as nurses and laboratory technicians. Conclusions: This study demonstrates the extent of resources involved in the treatment of dermatological emergency consultations.
AB - Background and objectives: Rising numbers of patients consulting emergency units are associated with an increased demand for material and personnel. In order to better quantify these resources, we performed an analysis of diagnostic procedures, treatment types, and the quantity and educational level of staff involved in emergency consultations. Patients and methods: The study was conducted as a prospective single-center survey over twelve months in the dermatology unit of a Germany university hospital. 3155 consultations were included by consecutive sampling. Results: Diagnostic tests (e.g. microbiological swab, blood testing, punch biopsy) were performed in 29 % of all consultations. Physicians prescribed treatment in 70 % of cases, with steroids and antihistamines being the most frequent topical and systemic treatment, respectively. Each patient was seen by at least one physician and a nurse, and in 25 % of cases an additional physician was involved. Less than thirty minutes was required for the consultation in the vast majority of cases. On average, emergency consultations required two hours per day of the treating physician's time, not including the time of other involved staff such as nurses and laboratory technicians. Conclusions: This study demonstrates the extent of resources involved in the treatment of dermatological emergency consultations.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85071753337&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/ddg.13922
DO - 10.1111/ddg.13922
M3 - Journal articles
C2 - 31479574
AN - SCOPUS:85071753337
SN - 1610-0379
VL - 17
SP - 1018
EP - 1026
JO - JDDG - Journal of the German Society of Dermatology
JF - JDDG - Journal of the German Society of Dermatology
IS - 10
ER -