Presentation Description
Institution: Bunbury Health Campus - Western Australia, Australia
Background: Access to specialist surgical services is a persistent challenge in rural and remote regions, contributing to health disparities. Innovative service delivery models are essential to bridge this gap. This study evaluates the effectiveness of a dual-clinic system—comprising a Rapid Access Clinic for acute assessments and a dedicated follow-up clinic —in a rural Western Australian setting.Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on patient visit data from the Rapid Access Clinic (n=564 visits) and the dedicated Outpatient Clinic (n=748 visits) between March 2023 and December 2024. Data on patient demographics, visit reasons, referral sources, and clinical outcomes were analysed to determine utilization patterns and service effectiveness.Results: The Rapid Access Clinic demonstrated a high-acuity caseload, with 22.5% of visits resulting in admission for surgery and 3.9% for monitoring. The clinic serves a broad demographic with a significant volume of referrals from local emergency departments (22.7%). A statistically significant inverse correlation was observed between age and surgical admission (r = -0.107, p = 0.011), with younger adults (18-34 years) having the highest rates of surgical intervention (31.3%). Abscesses were the most common condition leading to surgery (50.8% admission rate). In contrast, the outpatient clinic functioned primarily as a follow-up service, with a higher proportion of patients requiring multiple visits (36.1% vs. 18.9% at the Rapid Access Clinic) and minimal recorded admissions or discharges, indicating a focus on continuity of care. Conclusion:The dual-clinic model appears to be an effective strategy for delivering comprehensive surgical services in a rural setting. It combines rapid assessment for acute conditions with structured, ongoing management for chronic or post-operative issues. The findings highlight distinct successful integration with primary and emergency care services, offering a potential framework for other rural healthcare systems.
Presenters
Authors
Authors
Dr David Heath - , Dr Kyunghul Kim - , Dr Amyn Pardhan - , Dr Jacinta Cover -
