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Variability in GPs' referral rates in Spain
L García Olmos1, V Abraira, J Gervas
1Centro de Salud La Chopera, Alcobendas, Madrid, Spain.
Family Practice
|June 1, 1995
Summary
Referral rates from primary care vary significantly due to factors like doctor gender, patient demographics, and practice characteristics. Understanding these influences can help optimize referrals to secondary care.
Area of Science:
- Health Services Research
- Primary Care Medicine
- Health Economics
Background:
- Referral rates from primary care to secondary care exhibit considerable variation.
- Identifying factors influencing these variations is crucial for healthcare system efficiency.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the determinants of referral rate variations among general practitioners (GPs) in Spain.
- To analyze the impact of doctor, patient, and practice-related variables on referral patterns.
Main Methods:
- A Poisson multivariant regression model was employed.
- Data were collected from a sample of 242 general practitioners in Spain.
- Analysis focused on variables including doctor gender, patient demographics, practice size, and referral types.
Main Results:
- Significant variations in referral rates were associated with doctor gender, patient age and gender proportion, list size, and practice characteristics.
- Referral types (outpatient, private, emergency) and the influence of patient attitude also played a role.
- The final model demonstrated very high statistical significance (P < 0.00001).
Conclusions:
- Healthcare system's structural characteristics significantly influence referral rates.
- Modifications to these characteristics could potentially reduce unnecessary referrals from primary to secondary care.
- Findings highlight opportunities for optimizing resource allocation and patient pathways.