Patient Perspectives on Delayed Specialty Follow-Up After a Primary Care Visit

Area of Science:

• Primary Care Medicine
• Health Services Research
• Patient Communication

Background:

• Referrals for diagnostic tests are crucial after primary care visits.
• Many patient referrals are delayed or not completed, impacting timely diagnosis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore reasons for delayed or incomplete diagnostic referrals.
• To identify factors influencing patient completion of recommended referrals.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study using electronic health record data review.
• Semistructured interviews with patients who missed cardiac stress tests or dermatology referrals.

Main Results:

• Patients desire clear communication on referral rationale, value, and expectations.
• Effective clinician-patient communication is key for referral completion.
• Referral appointment scheduling processes are often challenging and contribute to delays.

Conclusions:

• Incomplete diagnostic referrals correlate with insufficient patient information and health system "friction."
• Accessible language and clear communication of referral importance are vital.
• Streamlined, patient-empowering appointment booking processes are needed to reduce referral failures.