Department of Periodontology and Community Dentistry,University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
Acta Odontol Scand. 2012 Mar;70(2):165-8. doi: 10.3109/00016357.2011.600712. Epub 2011 Sep 22.
Referral letters are deficient in quality and content, which may prevent ideal treatment of patients. Therefore, this study assessed the quality and contents of referral letters from peripheral health centers to the dental center of a teaching hospital in southwestern Nigeria.
All consecutive referral letters received at the dental center of a teaching hospital in southwestern Nigeria from various peripheral health centers over a period of 1 year were prospectively reviewed using a structured questionnaire. The information extracted were patient's demographic data, addresses of referral persons, dates of referral, reasons for referral, medical and dental history, examination findings, investigations done, diagnosis and treatment given. Descriptive analyses of frequencies were done for all variables.
One hundred and thirty-four referral letters were received and reviewed, comprising letters from 75 (60.0%) males and 59 (40.0%) females. The patient's age ranged from 2-74 years, with a median age of 25 years. The majority, 91 (85.4%), of the letters were written by medical doctors. An appreciable number of referral letters had no name or signature of the referring health care worker. Information on reasons for referral were not available in 27 (20.1%) of the letters. A significant proportion of referral letters lacked vital information on the patient age, past medical history, past dental history, investigations done and treatment given.
This study has shown that referral letters written from various peripheral healthcare centers to the dental centre of a teaching hospital is generally of unacceptable quality and the content could be improved upon.
转诊信质量和内容较差，可能会妨碍患者的理想治疗。因此，本研究评估了来自尼日利亚西南部一所教学医院牙科中心的周边卫生中心的转诊信的质量和内容。
在一年的时间里，对来自尼日利亚西南部一所教学医院牙科中心的各个周边卫生中心的连续转诊信进行前瞻性审查，使用结构化问卷。提取的信息包括患者的人口统计学数据、转诊人员的地址、转诊日期、转诊原因、医疗和牙科病史、检查结果、已进行的检查、诊断和治疗。对所有变量进行频率描述性分析。
共收到并审查了 134 封转诊信，其中包括 75 封（60.0%）男性和 59 封（40.0%）女性的信件。患者年龄从 2 岁到 74 岁，中位数为 25 岁。大多数（91 封，85.4%）信件是由医生撰写的。相当数量的转诊信没有写转诊卫生保健工作者的姓名或签名。27 封（20.1%）信件中没有提供转诊原因的信息。相当一部分转诊信缺乏患者年龄、既往病史、既往牙科史、已进行的检查和治疗的重要信息。
本研究表明，从各种周边医疗机构到教学医院牙科中心的转诊信的质量普遍较差，内容可以进一步改进。
