Table 1.

Nurses’ additional tasks under integrated chronic disease management

Additional task	Description
Appointment scheduling	Nurse sets date for the patient’s next appointment.
Preappointment retrieval of patients’ records	Patient files to be retrieved prior to a patient’s appointment. This is often done by nurses due to shortages in clerical staff.
Predispensing of chronic medication	Prior preparation of patient’s medication before the appointment.
Managing a separate queue for patients with chronic disease	A separate vital signs station* and a designated consultation room for patients with chronic disease, both staffed by nurses.

*The vital signs station, mostly located at the reception in view of other patients, is where a nurse measures blood pressure, temperature, pulse and weight for each patient attending the clinic.