Evaluation of the manageability of patients visiting the ear, nose, and throat outpatient clinic in primary care

This study aims to investigate the reasons for patients' visits to the Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) outpatient clinic of an education and research hospital, their previous visits to family physicians, the manageability of these reasons in primary care, and the impact of primary care services on the outpatient clinic load. The study aims to contribute to the development of strategies for improving service flow within the healthcare system and reducing the burden on the outpatient clinic. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study is a single-center, descriptive cross-sectional research conducted with 500 patients aged 18 and over who presented to the ENT outpatient clinic of Sakarya Education and Research Hospital. Data were collected between July 1, 2024, and December 1, 2024, through face-to-face interviews using a 37-item questionnaire. Data analysis was performed using the SPSS 22.0 statistical software, with statistical significance set at p<0.05 RESULTS: According to the findings, 24% of patients visiting the ENT outpatient clinic could have been managed at the primary care level, while 28.8% could have been managed in primary care, but this was not possible due to the unavailability of relevant medications in the social security coverage. In this study, statistically significant differences (p<0.05) were found between variables such as the patients' familiarity with their family physician, the first institution they visited for their complaints, referrals by the family physician, the way they visited the ENT clinic, and the duration of complaints, with regard to the manageability of their conditions in primary care. CONCLUSION: Strengthening the family medicine system, implementing mandatory referrals, and increasing the capacity of primary care services could encourage patients to visit family health centers. These changes may reduce hospital congestion, facilitate more efficient delivery of healthcare services, and alleviate the economic burden on the healthcare system. KEYWORDS: Family Medicine, Ambulatory care service, Ear, Nose, and Throat Diseases, Primary Health Care