Term

Definition

Group Clinics (GCs)

The primary purpose of a Group Clinic is to conduct a consultation with more than one patient in a group setting. The clinician reviews the patient’s condition, and the next step of the patient’s pathway is agreed and actioned, e.g. ordering of additional tests/investigations, prescribing new medication/dosage. If the Group Clinic had not taken place this would have resulted in patients requiring separate individual consultations. As part of the Group Clinic advice may be shared which helps patients about their condition, how to manage it and what actions need to be taken to maximise their health outcomes, e.g., reduce weight or stop smoking. They may also receive peer support. However, the primary purpose is the consultation. GCs may be delivered face-to-face (F2F GC) or via video (VGC)

All activity including Group therapy or group education (including hybrid sessions) to be recorded as GC/VGC activity given that:

• There is likely to be an element of education in all Group Clinics / Virtual Group Clinics

• There is likely to be an element of patient led questioning and interaction in all Educational Group Clinics

• It is difficult to quantify how much of each element would be needed to clearly define a session as coming under one of the 2 headings

• There is likely to be an element of reviewing the patient’s condition.

Group Clinics are not:

Video Appointments

Where one patient, who may be accompanied by carers or family members, is provided with an appointment with a clinician utilising a video platform instead of face-to-face in a clinic or surgery.

Multi Clinician Consultations

Several clinicians consult jointly with one patient who may be accompanied by carers or family members.

Case Conferences

Several professionals coming together with the patient, their carer(s) and family to discuss care or treatment plan.

Multidisciplinary Team Meetings

Clinicians meeting to discuss a number of patients whom they jointly support

Only GCs where the responsibility of care is within Secondary Care are included, however the Clinic may be delivered in a secondary, primary or community setting. ¹  

1 Noting that all specialities are included where this mode of delivery meets the clinical and wider needs of the patient.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Please refer to the following toolkit which provides information on how GCs/VGCs should be conducted. This link also provides essential information on updating a patients’ medical record relating to GCs/VGCs:

Video Group Clinic (VGC) Toolkit | Digital Health Wales

Measure

Definition

Specialty

Clinical specialty. This pick list holds values from Treatment Function Code and is used to indicate where GCs are being utilised. The selection here is the key to each row of data i.e., when completing the following columns the data should relate to that specialty for the reporting month. The Specialty display both codes and text descriptors

Number of F2F GCs

Number of Face-to-Face Group Clinics (F2F GCs) delivered during the reporting month

Number of VGCs

Number of Video Group Clinics (VGCs) delivered during the reporting month

Total number of GCs delivered

This is derived and equates to the total of Number of F2F GCs plus Number of VGCs

Number of patients HIC for F2F GC

Number of patients booked to attend a F2F GC but the clinic was cancelled by the provider

Number of patients HIC for VGC

Number of patients booked to attend a VGC but the clinic was cancelled by the provider

Total number of HIC for GCs

This is derived and equates to the total of Number of patients HIC for F2F GC plus Number of patients HIC for VGC

Number of patients CNA for F2F GC

Number of patients booked to attend a F2F GC but cancelled their appointment in advance of the clinic

Number of patients CNA for VGC

Number of patients booked to attend a VGC but cancelled their appointment in advance of the clinic.

Total number of CNA for GCs

This is derived and equates to the total of Number of patients CNA for F2F GC plus Number of patients CNA for VGC

Number of patients DNA for F2F GC

Number of patients booked to attend a F2F GC but did not attend and did not cancel their appointment in advance of the clinic.

Number of patients DNA for VGC

Number of patients booked to attend a VGC but did not attend and did not cancel their appointment in advance of the clinic.

Total number of DNA for GCs

This is derived and equates to the total of Number of patients DNA for F2F GC plus Number of patients DNA for VGC

DNA Rate

This is derived and equates to the (Total number of DNA for GCs divided by (Total number of patients attended a GC plus Total number of DNA for GCs)) x 100

Number of patients attended F2F GC

Attendance is classed as those patients who are booked for the F2F GC and attended. This can be for any length of time i.e., the patient does not need to attend for the complete duration of the clinic

Number of patients attended VGC

Attendance is classed as those patients who are booked for the VGC and attended. This can be for any length of time i.e., the patient does not need to attend for the complete duration of the clinic

Total number of patients attended a GC

This is derived and equates to the total of Number of patients attended F2F GC plus Number of patients attended VGC

Average number of patients per GC

Average number of patients who attended a GC (whether F2F GC or VGC). This is derived and equates to Total number of patients attended a GC divided by Total number of GCs delivered