Factors influencing referral decisions in physiatry.

As the population ages and more emphasis is placed on patient management than on curative exercise, physical medicine gains an important place in medical specialties. This study investigates the referral behavior in physiatry and compares it with referrals to other specialties. From a sample of 159 primary care physicians in the St. Louis metropolitan area who have a high probability of using physical medicine and rehabilitation, a referral model in physiatry was constructed. The results indicate that while the traditional determinants of referral decision play a significant role in influencing the referral behavior in physiatry, there also is a group of variables in physiatry that are significantly different from those of other subspecialties in determining referral process.