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Generic outpatient referrals: why don't GPs make them?
Deepa Taggarshe1, Nandan Haldipur, Sewa Singh
1Department of Surgery, Doncaster Royal Infirmary, Armthorpe Road, Doncaster DN2 5LT, UK. deepatags@hotmail.com
Journal of Public Health (Oxford, England)
|July 13, 2006
Summary
Most general practitioners (GPs) do not make generic referrals to secondary care, despite encouragement. This impacts workload distribution and service planning, with perceived clinical skills being a key factor for named referrals.
Area of Science:
- Healthcare Management
- Surgical Referral Patterns
- General Practice
Background:
- Generic referrals by general practitioners (GPs) can improve secondary care workload distribution and access time planning.
- This study investigates referral practices within a metropolitan health authority promoting generic referrals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess general practitioners' referral patterns to secondary care for surgical opinions.
- To understand the factors influencing GP referral decisions in Doncaster.
Main Methods:
- A focus group identified factors influencing GP referral decisions.
- A questionnaire based on focus group findings was administered to GPs in Doncaster.
- 79 GPs were surveyed, with 78 completing the questionnaire.
Main Results:
- Only 22% of GPs made generic referrals; 78% referred to named surgeons.
- Perceived clinical skills/competence was the primary factor for named referrals (43%).
- Waiting times (19%), personal rapport (12.6%), and patient feedback (12.6%) also influenced decisions.
Conclusions:
- Despite local health authority encouragement, a high proportion of GPs (78%) do not utilize generic referrals.
- Current referral patterns necessitate consideration in service delivery planning.