Stewart M, Savage M, Scott M, McClure G
Department of Child Health, Queen's University of Belfast.
Ir Med J. 1991 Mar;84(1):15-8.
Ten thousand new out-patient referrals are made each year to the out-patient department of the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children. A prospective study of a random sample of 295 (4%) of these children was undertaken to determine their reason for referral and the outcome of their attendance. The stated reason for referral was for investigation/diagnosis (45%), therapeutic advice (47%) or parental reassurance (6%). Non-attenders (10%) could not be predicted from the referral letter. Twenty-four per cent were found to have no abnormality. Significantly more children referred for parental reassurance and infants were included in this category. Less than half (45%) had investigations performed. These were mainly non-invasive with plain x-rays and urinalysis accounting for 44%. Consultant medical staff saw 53% of new referrals and requested more investigations but were less likely to review patients. The information obtained is used to suggest ways in which more rational use of hospital resources might be achieved without decreasing the standard of care to these children.
每年有一万名新患者被转诊至皇家贝尔法斯特儿童医院门诊部。我们对其中随机抽取的295名（4%）儿童进行了一项前瞻性研究，以确定他们的转诊原因及就诊结果。转诊的既定原因是进行检查/诊断（45%）、寻求治疗建议（47%）或让家长安心（6%）。无法从转诊信中预测未就诊者（10%）。发现24%的儿童无异常。因让家长安心而转诊的儿童及婴儿中，这一比例明显更高。不到一半（45%）的儿童进行了检查。这些检查主要是非侵入性的，普通X光和尿液分析占44%。顾问医务人员诊治了53%的新转诊患者，并要求进行更多检查，但复查患者的可能性较小。所获得的信息用于提出一些方法，以便在不降低对这些儿童护理标准的情况下，更合理地利用医院资源。
