THE ROLE OF A SECONDARY PEDIATRIC AMBULATORY CARE SERVICE WITHIN THE COMMUNITY

Objective: To describe the establishment and function of a secondary p ediatric ambulatory care service within the community, to assess the u tilization of a pediatric community service (''The Center''), and to a ssess parents' degree of satisfaction with the quality of care in the center. Design: Personal information and information regarding all vis its was recorded and analyzed. A structured telephone interview was us ed to evaluate parents' satisfaction with the quality of care in the c enter. Setting: A pediatric community centre managed by board certifie d pediatricians. The clinic offers primary and secondary care. Partici pants: A random sampling of parents of children who visited the center (n = 615). Results: The number of children treated in the center incr eased five-fold within three years. Most visits took place during even ing hours and over the weekends. The most common presenting symptoms w ere fever, respiratory and gastrointestinal complaints, earache, and t rauma. Eighty-nine percent of parents were satisfied or very satisfied with the quality of care in the center; 95% were satisfied or very sa tisfied with the attitudes of physicians and nurses providing treatmen t. Conclusion: The center is widely utilized by parents with a great d egree of satisfaction. The availability and extended working hours of the center provided medical care for a large number of children seekin g ''after hours'' medical attention, as well as a backup for the prima ry care physicians. The center, therefore, provides a model for improv ed quality of medical care within the community.