Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow E-letters: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when E-letters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Olmos, L G.
Right arrow Articles by Fernández, M P.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Olmos, L G.
Right arrow Articles by Fernández, M P.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Family Practice Vol. 12, No. 2, 159-162
© Oxford University Press 1995

research-article

Variability in GPs' referral rates in Spain

L García Olmos, V Abraira1, J Gervas2, A Otero3 and M Pérez Fernández2

Centro de Salud ‘La Chopera’ Alcobendas, Spain
1Unidad de Bioestadistica clinica, Hospital Ramón y Cajal Madrid, Spain
2Equipo CESCA Madrid, Spain
3Centro Universitario de Salud Pública Madrid, Spain

Address for Correspondence: Luis Garcia Olmos, Centro de salud ‘La Chopera’, Paseo de la Chopera 48, 28100 Alcobendas, Madrid, Spain

The purpose of this study is to explore the causes that may influence the variations on referral rates in a sample of 242 general practitioners (GPs) in Spain.

We applied Poisson multivariant regression modeling to analyze the role played by different variables related to doctors, patients and practices.

The mean referral rate was 6.92±0.22 with a variant coefficient of 50.6%. The results of the Poisson model showed a statistically significant variation on the following variables: 1) doctor gender; 2) proportion of consultations to the practice made by male patients; 3) proportion of consultations made by patients over 65 years of age; 4) list size, 5) number of doctors in the PCT; 6) number of practice consultations to each doctor per week; 7) accredited practice for VT; 8) location of practice; 9) proportion of outpatient referrals; 10) proportion of private referrals; 11) proportion of emergency referrals; 12) proportion of referrals in which the patient's attitude did not influence the doctor for the referral; 13) proportion of new referrals.

The statistical significance for the final model was very high (P < 0.00001).

The study draws attention to the influence of some structural characteristics of health care system on the referral rates that could be modified to reduce the number of referrals from Primary to Secondary Care.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.