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Related Experiment Videos

Referral for 'prostatism': developing a 'performance indicator' for the threshold between primary and secondary care?

G J Elwyn1, A Rix, P Matthews

  • 1School of Postgraduate Education for General Practice, University of Wales, Cardiff, UK.

Family Practice
|June 25, 1999
PubMed
Summary

A performance indicator for referrals to urology was defined, revealing that 36% of general practitioner (GP) referrals for prostatism lack adequate information for specialist prioritization.

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Area of Science:

  • Urology
  • Healthcare Management
  • Clinical Informatics

Background:

  • Primary and secondary care interfaces are crucial for efficient patient management.
  • Referral letters are key communication tools between general practitioners (GPs) and specialists.
  • Standardizing referral information can improve diagnostic accuracy and patient flow.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To establish a performance indicator for the gateway between primary and secondary care in urology.
  • To assess the information content of referral letters sent to a urological department.
  • To identify deficiencies in referral practices that impact specialist assessment.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of 221 sequential referral letters from GPs to a urology department at a teaching hospital in Cardiff, Wales.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Stratification of referral letters into categories based on the inclusion of history, examination findings, routine investigations, and specialized investigations.
  • Evaluation of the completeness of information provided for the assessment of patients with prostatism.

    • Main Results:

    • Three categories of referral practices were identified based on information provided.
    • Over a third of GPs (36%) failed to include adequate information in referrals for prostatism.
    • Less than 4% of referrals included detailed urological investigations like urinary flow rates or post-micturition residual urine volume.

    Conclusions:

    • The majority of referrals (60%) contain sufficient information for specialist prioritization.
    • A significant portion of referrals (36%) are inadequate, hindering efficient specialist appointment scheduling.
    • The developed method shows potential as a gateway performance indicator for clinical practice in urology.