Main objective

The primary aim of the project is to develop effective psychosocial strategies to reduce the need for frequent unscheduled care in patients with three long term conditions, through a programme of applied health services research.

Additional Objectives

• The derivation of estimates of the frequency and the patternation of unscheduled or urgent care in patients with diabetes, rheumatologic diseases, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in order to develop a ‘clinical prediction rule’ that will identify patients with long term conditions who are at risk of becoming frequent users of unscheduled or urgent care; to identify personal reasons for use of unscheduled or urgent care
• The development of a low intensity intervention which will reduce/prevent unscheduled or urgent care.