An Evaluation of On-Call Otolaryngology Consultations: Assessing an Increasing Workload

Abstract

Objective: This study compares the volume of on-call otolaryngology consultations in a tertiary care center over a 5-year period. The objective of this study was to identify changes in the volume of consultations in an inpatient setting. Methods: A cross-sectional retrospective study was performed to determine the volume of consultations. The years 2010 and 2015 were the timepoints for the cross-sectional analysis. A review of electronic medical records was performed to identify all patients associated with the otolaryngology service from the emergency department, inpatient wards, and intensive care units. The primary outcome was the number of otolaryngology consultations per year. Results: The number of on-call consultations in 2010 was 992. In 2015, the number of on-call consultations was 2174. This represents a 120% increase in the number of consultations over a 5-year period ( P < .001). Conclusion: There has been a significant increase in the volume of on-call otolaryngology consultations at our tertiary care center. This increase has the potential to adversely affect patient care. A better understanding of the cause of this increase may allow policymakers and health care practitioners to improve patient access, physician workloads, and resource allocation.