Analysis of referrals to Specialized Care from Primary Care

Introduction: children referral to specialized consultation is part of the Primary Care daily work. Quantification and evaluation of the referral reasons make us think about the human and material resources available and also consider if the relationship between the different care levels are the best for patients as well as for health staff.

Objective: to determine which are the specialist areas that receive more referrals from the Primary Care pediatric team and their motives.

Material and methods: transversal descriptive study of the specialized care referrals made by the Vallirana’s and Cervello’s Primary Care pediatricians. Vallirana and Cervelló villages (Barcelona) have 3375 children younger than 15 years old. Data were obtained from the electronic medical record between 2007 and 2009.

Results: during this three years period, 1460 referrals have been done for 3375 children younger than 15 years old attended in the Primary care centres. Thirty-eight of them haven’t been analysed because of lack of complete information. Ophthalmology is the most referred specialization (27.65%) followed by Orthopaedics (16.88%), Dermatology (14.84%) and Otolaryngology (12.52%) as the more required specializations.

Conclusions: Ophthalmology, Orthopaedics, Dermatology and Otolaryngology are the most referred specialities. These specialities are constant in each year group. These results could help to organize the relationship between the different care levels.