BMJ  2004;329 (23 October), doi:10.1136/bmj.329.7472.0-b

Letters may save time

Not all patients referred to a haematologist need to be seen in clinic; a letter will often do. Tso and colleagues (p 946) analysed general practitioners' satisfaction with a letter containing advice on subsequent management, rather than formal outpatient review, for 121 of 274 patients who had been referred to a haematologist. These patients were not deemed to need further investigations or specialised treatment and had no evidence of a serious illness. Most general practitioners, and 72 patients who were interviewed, found a written response acceptable and helpful and would be satisfied with it in the future.

Credit: DAVID MACK/SPL

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Are written responses to some referrals to a general haematology clinic acceptable?

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