[Referral from general practitioner to specialist. A study from Nord-Tröndelag]

Out of 4,892 patients who visited general practitioners during a four-week period, 307 were referred to specialists (6.3%). The main reason for referral seemed to be lack of necessary knowledge. There was no connection between the frequency of referral and the general practitioner's experience, how many years he/she had worked in the community, sex, or previous hospital experience, or distance to the specialist.