Open AccessRESPONSE OF DEPUTISING SERVICES IN MELBOURNE TO ACUTE CEREBROVASCULAR EPISODES: AN EVALUATION
Author(s) -
Christie David
Publication year - 1980
Publication title -
community health studies
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.946
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1753-6405
pISSN - 0314-9021
DOI - 10.1111/j.1753-6405.1980.tb00297.x
Subject(s) - medicine , incidence (geometry) , stroke (engine) , general practice , emergency medicine , general hospital , medical emergency , service (business) , family medicine , mechanical engineering , physics , economy , optics , economics , engineering
Between March 1978 and September 1979, a stroke incidence study was carried out in Melbourne. Of the 300 subjects who sought help from a general practitioner, in 68 the call was answered by a member of a deputising service. Each of the latter subjects was matched for age, severity and time of onset with a patient whose call had been responded to by his own general practitioner. Response times, use of hospital resources, mortality and residual disability in survivors were compared. It was concluded that, in this condition at least, the deputising services provide fast, effective care meeting the needs of both general practitioners and patients in perceived emergency situations.