Figure 1. Consort Diagram

In the QG the likelihood that the clinician would make a diagnosis (77%) was higher than in the NQG (57%) but this did not reach statistical significance, p=0.0555 (Table 1). The two most common diagnoses were Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) 18/85 (21%) and Vestibular Migraine 16/85 (20%) (Figure 2). There was no significant difference in the distribution of diagnoses made in the two groups. Clinicians requested additional investigations, such as MRI scans, for 9/35 (26%) of patients in the QG, compared to 34/47 (72%) patients in the NQG, and this difference was statistically significant p = 0.0409. A greater proportion of QG patients were referred for vestibular physiotherapy 6/35 (17%), than in the NQG 6/47 (13%). After the initial telephone consultation, 18/35 (51%) of QG patients were discharged compared to 19/47 (40%) in the NQG. There were significantly fewer telephone follow-up consultations requested in the QG, 6/35 (17%), compared to the NQG 20/47 (43%), p=0.0173.