Effects of a single-entry intake system on access to outpatient visits to specialist physicians and allied health professionals: a systematic review.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Canada lags behind other countries with respect to wait times for specialist physician and allied health professional consultations. We conducted a systematic review to assess the effects of a single-entry model on waiting time, referral volume and the satisfaction of patients and health care providers.

Methods

We searched MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane CENTRAL and CINAHL databases from inception to December 2019. We included studies from countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development that reported on the effects of a single-entry model on the time between referral to first assessment by a specialist physician or allied health professional, termed wait time 1 (WT1). Patient volume and the satisfaction of providers and patients were secondary ou

SUBMITTER: Milakovic M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8084550 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Apr-Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature