[Consultations in ophthalmological practice. A multi-practice study of referrals to private ophthalmologists in...

In Denmark the GPs act as gatekeepers for secondary health care services except for ophthalmologists and ear-nose-throat specialists. The aim of this study was to describe consultations and referral patterns to ophthalmologists in private practice in Denmark. Forty-four out of 143 practising ophthalmologists agreed to fill out a short questionnaire on a random sample of their patients. They recorded 1844 consultations. Forty percent of contacts were appointments arranged by the ophthalmologist, 35% were self-referred, 13% were referred by their GP and 12% by others. Cataract, glaucoma and refraction anomalies accounted for 51% of all diagnoses. The distribution of reasons for encounter and diagnoses among self-referred patients and patients referred by their GP does not argue in favour of a change from the present system with free self-referral to a system with gatekeeping by GPs.