PIFU: Patient Initiated Follow-Up

Be in control of your healthcare

As part of the Outpatient Transformation Programme, we have rolled out Patient Initiated Follow Ups (PIFU). PIFU allows people with some short or long term conditions to access clinical teams for help when they need it most, rather than having a prearranged or regularly scheduled appointment.

PIFU puts you in control of when you need to access outpatient follow up care. For some people with a long term condition it means spending less time attending hospital appointments but still having access to specialist input when it’s needed.

If your condition is stable, you may not find it helpful to attend regular outpatient appointments scheduled by the hospital. Sometimes these appointments may not result in any change to your treatment, or be at a time when you are struggling with your condition, but you’ll have spent time and energy putting arrangements in place to attend your appointment.

Moving to a PIFU pathway will always be a mutual agreement between you and your clinician, you will be provided with information regarding triggers and symptoms which will guide you on when and how you should contact the hospital.

 

You could be added to a long term pathway if you have a long term condition, this may also be referred to as a Patient Initiated Contact pathway.

Your clinician will agree with you a specific timeframe within which to contact the hospital if your condition flares up and you feel you need to be seen. You will be provided with information regarding the types of reasons when you should contact the hospital and this will be specific to the long term condition you have.
  
If you have not contacted the hospital within the specified time frame your clinician will conduct a review.  This is likely to be in the form of a telephone appointment where you and your clinician will agree if you should commence a further PIC period of if your condition should be managed in an different way. Occasionally your clinician might decide that you should come to the hospital for a face to face appointment for your review and if this is the case the Appointments team will contact you to agree an appointment date and time with you.

You will only be on a PIFU pathway if you and your clinician have agreed this is appropriate for you following your treatment or to manage your long term condition.