Evaluation of Patients Referred to a Rheumatology Clinic in a Retrospective Cohort Study

The profiles and referral process of patients in rheumatology clinics are critical for effective healthcare services and patient management.

The objective of this study was to examine the characteristics of patients referred from other departments and presenting to the rheumatology outpatient clinic for the first time.

Between 1 August 2020 and 31 August 2022, patients who were referred from other departments presented to the rheumatology outpatient clinic for the first time.

One thousand five hundred one patients who presented to the rheumatology outpatient clinic for the first time were identified. Two hundred thirty-eight were excluded from the study due to missing data. In conclusion, data from a total of 1263 patients were included in the study. The distribution of diagnoses among the patients was as follows: 35.7% IRD, 17.7% osteoarthritis, and 11.2% regional pain syndromes.

The most common reasons for referrals to the rheumatology outpatient clinic were joint complaints. The detection rate of IRD in patients referred to the rheumatology clinic appears to be approximately 3 out of every 10 patients. It is believed that the rational use of the referral system in primary care can help prevent unnecessary healthcare expenses and avoid non-rheumatic patient presentations to rheumatology outpatient clinics.