786. Improving Access by Prescreening Self-Referred Patients to an Infectious Disease Clinic

BACKGROUND: Studies show that 35% of patients obtaining care in a specialty clinic are self-referred, of these, 60% do not have a PCP. Frequent changing of physicians without provider referral contributes to high costs and healthcare inefficiencies. Many subspecialty clinics do not require provider referral for access, so-called: ‘self-referral’; becoming an issue when patients discern a need for a subspecialty that does not align with their disease process. The Infectious Disease (ID) Department of the Cleveland Clinic Main Campus began prescreening all self-referred patients in July 2016. (Figure 1) We reviewed this process after sustained implementation. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study examining “self-referred” patients (lacking an internal referral order) to the ID Clinic from December 2016–October 2018. Grouped patients by chief complaint using system-based categories, subsequently reviewed records received for prior workup and identified if they had been seen by a specialist or received antibiotics in the past 6 months prior to visit. Those seen in our department were evaluated for: (1) additional workup ordered (2) if antibiotics were prescribed, and (3) referral to another specialty. RESULTS: 1449 patients self-referred. By prescreening them, waiting time for appointment fell from >40 to 13 days, no-shows steadily drop from 11% to 8%. We audit 105 (40%) of patients seen, most common reasons for referral: Skin 19 (18%), Bone/Joint 18 (17%), Concern for Lyme Disease 16 (15%). 73% had been previously seen by a subspecialty; majority by ID. 75% received antibiotics in the past 6 months. After the visit, 53% had new work up ordered, 21% were prescribed antibiotics and 26% patients were referred to another specialty. CONCLUSION: Prescreening self-referred patients contributed to improved access to subspecialty care and decreased”no-show’ appointments. The majority of self-referred patients had previous evaluation, frequently by the specialty being requested. [Image: see text] DISCLOSURES: All authors: No reported disclosures.