Data source
Data was collected retrospectively from the digital patient records
system at our institution, including patient demographics, referral
source, waiting time, clinic outcome, treatments, and investigations.
Follow-up data were collected for patients in the telephone clinic
cohort who were brought back for a face-to-face review, in addition to
follow-up data for all patients to ascertain the total number of clinic
appointments required to reach a definitive outcome. Where patients did
not attend their follow-up appointments, they were excluded from this
analysis.