Table 2 Practice-level organisation of the distribution of test results
| Â | Practice 1 | Practice 2 | Practice 3 | Practice 4 | Practice 5 | Practice 6 | Practice 7 | Practice 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Protocol | No | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes |
Stage 1: How was the initial management of results organised? | Single receptionist | Different person each day | Single receptionist | Same person for a week at a time | Different person each day | Different person each day | Same person for a week at a time | Single receptionist |
Stage 2: How were the results distributed across the clinicians? | Practice nurse who filed all ‘normal’ results and then to the GP who ordered the test if the result was abnormal | Any GP on duty that day via a daily rota prepared by Office Manager. Nurses also receive results with their name on it | ‘Normal’ results filtered to the senior practice nurse by receptionist. ‘Abnormal’ results sent to the GP who had ordered the test | The GP who had ordered the test or their ‘buddy’ | The GPs at break time, who then distributed the results themselves according to who ‘knew’ the patient best | The GP who had ordered the test | The GP who had ordered the test and the rest were divided randomly across the GPs | The GP or nurse who had ordered the test via specific chronic disease management clinics (e.g. diabetes, asthma) |
Stage 3: How were the results reviewed? | Abnormal results reviewed by GPs in their consulting rooms and normal results reviewed by practice nurses in their consulting rooms | All results reviewed by GPs in their consulting rooms | Results reviewed individually by nurses in their consulting rooms and communally by GPs in a shared computer room during morning coffee break | All results reviewed by GPs in their consulting rooms | All results reviewed by GPs in their consulting rooms | All results reviewed by GPs in their consulting rooms | All results reviewed by GPs in their consulting rooms | All results reviewed by GPs and nurses in their consulting rooms |
Stage 4: How did receptionists contact the patients to complete the action? | Patient telephoned by computer operator if a prescription was required and by main reception if an appointment was required | Patient telephoned by member of reception team | Patient telephoned by member of reception team and then send letter if no response | Patient sent letter by member of reception team | Patient telephoned by reception team member and message left if no answer | Patient telephoned by reception team member | Patient telephoned by reception team member | Patients telephoned by a reception team member |