Nurse management of 'same day' consultation for patients with minor illnesses: results of an extended programme in primary care in Catalonia.

Aims: This paper is a report of a study to assess the feasibility and efficacy of a programme of nurse management for patients requesting same day consultation for minor illnesses in primary care.

Background: The efficacy of such programmes has been demonstrated in randomized studies but there is little information on these programmes in highly populated areas.

Methods: Patients seeking same day consultation for one of 23 preselected minor illnesses (16 for adults, 7 for paediatric patients) from March 2009 to April 2010 were seen by trained nurses who followed predefined algorithms.