Does Open Access Improve Podiatric Care?
Author Information
Author(s): Wrobel James S., Davies Michael L., Robbins Jeffrey M.
Primary Institution: Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center
Hypothesis
Open access clinics would result in decreased wait times, increased number of podiatry visits, fewer 'no shows', higher rates of acute care visits, and lower minor amputation rates over control clinics without open access.
Conclusion
Open access clinics had more timely access for new patients and lower rates of minor amputations.
Supporting Evidence
- Open access clinics had 96% of new consults seen within 30 days compared to 89% in control clinics.
- Minor amputation rates were lower in open access clinics at 0.62 per 1,000 compared to 1.0 per 1,000 in control clinics.
Takeaway
Open access clinics let patients see doctors faster and help reduce the number of foot amputations.
Methodology
This study was a national retrospective case-control study of VHA podiatry clinics in 2008 comparing eight open access facilities to sixteen control facilities.
Potential Biases
Open access facilities may represent centers with better coordination of care, which could skew results.
Limitations
Selection bias could have been present due to the low response rate and the retrospective nature of the study.
Participant Demographics
Participants were from VHA podiatry clinics across the United States.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.050
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Want to read the original?
Access the complete publication on the publisher's website