A national survey of rheumatology telephone advice line support in the United Kingdom: frontline perspectives

Ryan, Sarah; Hider, Samantha; Tavernor, Jay; Hassell, Andrew

Abstract

Lay Summary: What does this mean for patients? Telephone advice lines enable people with arthritis to contact their rheumatology team when they need guidance about managing their condition. Since the pandemic, demand for telephone support has increased, with some services struggling to return calls quickly, impacting on the well-being of patients and staff. To understand more about how advice lines currently function, we undertook a national survey of telephone advice line services in the UK. A total of 123 health professionals completed the survey, the majority being experienced rheumatology nurses. Nearly all advice lines operated weekdays, with most calls returned within 2 days, although some patients waited >7 days for a response. The most common reasons for contacting advice lines included joint swelling, pain and concerns about medications, including possible side effects. Nurses providing the service often felt anxious and stressed. Most services did not have any formal guidelines and there was no system for evaluating the increased workload. Having designated training could improve staff well-being and help manage increased demand. Services also need to be appropriately resourced and evaluated to meet the needs of people with arthritis.

Citation

Ryan, S., Hider, S., Tavernor, J., & Hassell, A. (in press). A national survey of rheumatology telephone advice line support in the United Kingdom: frontline perspectives. Rheumatology Advances in Practice, 8(3), Article rkae084. https://doi.org/10.1093/rap/rkae084

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jun 27, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Jul 16, 2024
• Deposit Date: Aug 7, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Aug 7, 2024
• Journal: Rheumatology Advances in Practice
• Print ISSN: 2514-1775
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 8
• Issue: 3
• Article Number: rkae084
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/rap/rkae084
• Keywords: rheumatoid arthritis, telephone advice lines, survey
• Public URL: https://keele-repository.worktribe.com/output/880116
• Publisher URL: https://academic.oup.com/rheumap/article/8/3/rkae084/7714699