Characterizing pulmonary rehabilitation referrals from primary care

Area of Science:

• Pulmonary Medicine
• Health Services Research
• Respiratory Care

Background:

• Referrals to pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) from primary care are crucial for equitable access in chronic lung disease.
• Understanding primary care referral patterns is key to developing strategies for increased PR utilization.
• This study investigates primary care referral rates and characteristics in an Australian metropolitan setting.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the proportion of patients referred to PR from primary care.
• To identify patient characteristics associated with primary care referrals.
• To identify referrer characteristics in primary care.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective audit of referrals to PR over a four-year period.
• Review of patient medical records for referral details and demographics.
• Analysis of patient characteristics including diagnosis, disease severity, symptoms, and functional impairment.

Main Results:

• Only 6.2% of PR referrals originated from primary care (predominantly general practice).
• Patients referred from primary care were typically diagnosed with COPD, female, with moderate disease severity, mild symptoms, and modest functional impairment.
• A low proportion of primary care practitioners (4 of 36) referred more than one patient.

Conclusions:

• The proportion of patients referred to PR from primary care is very low.
• Improving primary care referral processes is a priority to enhance access to PR for patients with chronic respiratory disease.
• Further strategies are needed to support primary care providers in referring eligible patients to PR.