PubMed Health⌕ Search
Home/Archive/PubMed

PubMed · 2714538

Differences in referral rates from general practice.

B Christensen·H T Sørensen·C E Mabeck
View original source ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

There are many unexplained differences in the rates at which general practitioners make referrals to other medical specialists. This study investigated 17,586 referrals from 141 general practitioners to specialists in seven specialties in Ringkjøbing county in Denmark. As an expression of the referral rate, a referral index was estimated for every general practitioner. The referral index was the number of referrals to the specialist per 1000 patients per year, including children, standardized for age and sex to the average population in Ringkjøbing county. The following six variables were evaluated in relation to the referral index: specialists in the local area, doctors per practice, consultations per general practitioner per year, patients registered, consultations per 1000 patients per year standardized for age and sex, and supplementary procedures per consultation. Stepwise multiple regression analysis was used. The study showed that the referral index rose both with a better access to specialist and with an increasing number of consultations per practitioner per year. The referral index fell with increased numbers of patients registered. No correlation was found between the referral index and number of supplementary procedures per consultation, number of doctors per practice and number of consultations per 1000 patients per year.

Explore related subjects

DenmarkFamily PracticeHumansReferral and ConsultationRetrospective StudiesJournal ArticleResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

B Christensen, H T Sørensen, C E Mabeck. 1989. Differences in referral rates from general practice.. https://doi.org/10.1093/fampra%2F6.1.19

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related citations

PubMed2026

Emerging trends in invasive Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis infections in Denmark, 2014 to 2024: a nationwide genomic and registry-based study.

BACKGROUNDIncreasing incidence rates of invasive Streptococcus dysgalactiae subspecies equisimilis (iSDSE) have been detected worldwide.AIMWe aimed to investigate iSDSE infection incidence rates in Denmark during 2014-2024, and characterise the genomic population structure of a subset of iSDSE isolates and their antimicrobial resistance (AMR).METHODSUsing national register data, we estimated overall and sex-/age-stratified iSDSE incidences during 2014-2024, by retrospectively identifying cases of invasive infections with group C and G streptococci or S. dysgalactiae (including specified as subspecies equisimilis). From the voluntary national beta-haemolytic streptococci laboratory surveillance system, whole-genome-sequenced isolates from August 2020-September 2022 were used to investigate the iSDSE genomic population structure. Susceptibility to penicillin, erythromycin and clindamycin was determined and AMR genes identified.RESULTSDuring 2014-2024, iSDSE incidence rates increased significantly (linear trend analysis p&#x2009;<&#x2009;0.001) with mean annual incidence ranging between 10.3 and 16.4 per 100,000, peaking in 2023. Incidence was higher in males, increasing with older age. Nearly 75% of the&#x2009;1,223 iSDSE isolates belonged to four of 14 genetic clusters. Sequence types (STs) ST20 and ST17 were most prevalent, while emm-type stG62647, a variant associated internationally with higher virulence, dominated. All isolates were phenotypically susceptible to penicillin but approximately 10% were respectively erythromycin and clindamycin resistant. High erythromycin resistance prevalence (57%;&#x2009;39/68), coinciding with gene ermA, occurred in one genetic cluster.CONCLUSIONThe findings illustrate the need for national registry-based surveillance to detect epidemiological changes and potential outbreaks. Further, continuous genomic surveillance can monitor the occurrence and expansion of genetic clades and AMR genes.

Denmark↗
PubMed2007

[Primary ovarian cancer. A comparison of registrations in the Danish Cancer Registry and the Pathology Data Bank].

INTRODUCTION: Ovarian cancer (OC) registrations in the Danish Cancer Registry (CR) and the Danish Pathology Data Bank (PDB) 1978-99 were compared in order to assess the possibility of identifying OC cases from another data source than the CR. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 13,320 OC were identified in the CR/PDB and comparisons of the registrations were performed. RESULTS: The frequency of cases registered in both registries increased during 1978-99. Agreement in registration of histological subtypes in the two registries was found in 82% of the cases. Diagnosis among the rest was most often consistent; however, a more specific diagnosis was often found in one or the other registry. The frequency of women only registered with OC in the CR decreased from 81% to 35%, as the number of women with no diagnoses at all in the PDB declined from 1978 to 1997, whereafter it stabilised, primarily because all pathology departments now reported data to the PDB. In 1997-99, 29% of OC registered in the CR with a histologically verified OC diagnosis was still not registered with cancer in the ovaries in the PDB. Most of these, however, could be identified in the PDB with diagnoses consistent with metastases from OC. In total, 749 OC were not registered in the CR, though explanations for their missing registrations could be found in most cases. CONCLUSION: Data from the PDB may not be useful in complete identification of ovarian cancer cases for research purposes. However, it is a good supplement to data from the CR.

Denmark↗