Transfer of care of patients with acromegaly into the community is safe and acceptable, say Dr V. Thornton-Jones and colleagues (department of endocrinology, Radcliffe infirmary, Oxford). It is cost effective, acceptable to patients, reduces hospital visits, improves liaison between hospitals and general practitioners and increases the awareness of acromegaly in the community, they say.
In a study of 29 patients, the long acting formulation of octreotide was administered by practice nurses trained about the treatment. The results, presented last week at the annual meeting of the Society for Endocrinology, showed that there was a significant reduction in hospital visits - only 87 instead of the expected 377 over a year. This equated to a hospital saving of £51,040; 18,810 miles of patient travel were saved. All patients preferred the new regime.
The authors conclude that patients with acromegaly can be safely treated under a shared care regime between hospital and GP.