Table 1 Usual arrangements versus Patient-Initiated Follow-Up (PIFU) in the rheumatology outpatient clinic
Care and services offered to patients with IAa | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Treatment characteristic 1) Conservative or unlicensed medicine (p.o.b) 2) Licensed medicine (p.o., s.c.c) 3) Drug infusion | Model of follow-up care | ||||||
Usual | Patient-Initiated Follow-Up (PIFU) | ||||||
1) | 2) | 3) | 1) | 2) | 3) | ||
Disease monitoring | Blood test | Every 8–12 weeks | |||||
PROMd (DANBIO)e | Self-reported, on-site ahead of any consultation and/or drug infusion | ||||||
Rheumatologist consultation | Traditional medical consultation (15 min) | Fixed, planned every third to fourth month | Annual | ||||
Acute consultation | Significant waiting time (5–8 days) | Usual rheumatologist within five working days or any rheumatologist within 1–2 days | |||||
Nurse-led clinic | Individual nurse consultation (45 min, approximately six months offset from the medical consultation) | Not offered (NO) | Annual nurse consultation; aiming to cover the patient’s knowledge of his/her actual situation, preferences and needs and includes screening for cardiovascular risk factors | ||||
Telephone support | Direct telephone to a nurse on weekdays from 1 to 3 pm and a secretary 8–12 am who can leave a message for a nurse or renew prescriptions | Hotline, manned on weekdays 8 am to 3 pm by an experienced RRNf | |||||
Drop-in function (e.g. dispensing or administration of medicines and self-administration training) | NO | Medication pickup with an interval of eight weeks (e.g., prefilled syringes) | NO | NO | As usual | NO | |
Infusion room (Manned with 2–3 nurses on weekdays from 8 am - 3 pm) | NO | NO | Drug infusion (30–60 min) administered by a nurse every 6–8 weeks | NO | NO | As usual | |
Delegated tasks (e.g, I.M.ginjections, drug information, planning of treatment and laboratory test, infection detection) | As usual | ||||||