Scott John R, Wong Eric, Sowerby Leigh J
Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, St. Joseph's Healthcare, 268 Grosvenor Street, London, ON, N6A 4 V2, Canada.
Department of Family Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2015 Dec 29;44:57. doi: 10.1186/s40463-015-0114-2.
No literature exists which examines referral preferences to, or the consultation process with, Otolaryngology. In a recent Canadian Medical Association nation-wide survey of General Practitioners and Family Physicians, Otolaryngology was listed as the second-most problematic specialty for referrals. The purpose of this study was to learn about and improve upon the referral process between primary care physicians (PCPs) and Otolaryngology at an academic centre in Southwestern Ontario.
PCPs who actively refer patients to Otolaryngology within the catchment area of Western University were asked to complete a short paper-based questionnaire. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics.
A total of 50 PCPs were surveyed. Subspecialty influenced 90.0% of the referrals made. Specialist wait times altered 58.0% of referrals. All PCPs preferred to communicate via fax. Half of those surveyed wanted clinical notes from every encounter. Seventy-four percent of respondents wanted inappropriate referrals forwarded to the proper specialist automatically. Twenty-two percent of those surveyed were satisfied with current wait times. A central referral system was favored by 74% of PCPs.
Improvements could help streamline the referral and consultation practices with Otolaryngology in Southwestern Ontario. A central referral system and reduction in the frequency of consultative reports can be considered.
目前尚无关于转诊至耳鼻喉科的偏好或与耳鼻喉科会诊流程的文献。在加拿大医学协会最近对全科医生和家庭医生进行的全国性调查中，耳鼻喉科被列为转诊方面第二大问题较多的专科。本研究的目的是了解安大略省西南部一个学术中心的初级保健医生（PCP）与耳鼻喉科之间的转诊流程并加以改进。
邀请在西安大略大学服务区域内积极转诊患者至耳鼻喉科的初级保健医生填写一份简短的纸质问卷。使用描述性统计方法分析数据。
共调查了50名初级保健医生。亚专科影响了90.0%的转诊。专科医生的等待时间改变了58.0%的转诊。所有初级保健医生都倾向于通过传真进行沟通。一半的受访者希望每次会诊都有临床记录。74%的受访者希望将不适当的转诊自动转至合适的专科医生。22%的受访者对当前的等待时间感到满意。74%的初级保健医生赞成建立一个中央转诊系统。
改进措施有助于简化安大略省西南部与耳鼻喉科的转诊与会诊流程。可以考虑建立中央转诊系统并减少会诊报告的频率。
