Biomaterial Database

Self-reported referral patterns in practices of family/general practitioners, internists, and obstetricians/gynecologists. 1988

J Sobal, and H L Muncie, and C M Valente, and D M Levine, and B R DeForge

Department of Family Medicine, University of Maryland, School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201.

A profile of referrals can help to define the characteristics of a physician's practice. Self-reported referral patterns in the practices of Family/General Practitioners (FP/GP), Internists (IM), and Obstetricians/Gynecologists (OB/GYN) in Maryland were assessed with a questionnaire mailed to an area sample of 1,715 physicians. A 65% response rate was obtained after three mailings (weighted N = 1,487). Self-reported referrals received per month averaged 16% of patients seen (six percent FP/GP, 13% OB/GYN, 23% IM), and were more frequent among self-employed, younger, metropolitan and female physicians who spent less time in patient care. Self-reported referrals made per month averaged ten percent (10% FP/GP), 11% IM, and eight percent OB/GYN), and were higher for physicians in metropolitan areas. The correlation between percentage referrals received and percentage referrals made was r = .19 (r = .03 FP/GP, r = .21 IM, r = .25 OB/GYN). Self-reported practice referral patterns are similar to referrals reported in prior studies, and can be used to consider specialty differences in referral behavior of physicians.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007388	Internal Medicine	A medical specialty concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the internal organ systems of adults.	General Internal Medicine,Medicine, Internal,Internal Medicine, General,Medicine, General Internal
D008396	Maryland	A state bounded on the north by Pennsylvania, on the east by Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by Virginia and West Virginia, and on the west by West Virginia.
D009774	Obstetrics	A medical-surgical specialty concerned with management and care of women during pregnancy, parturition, and the puerperium.
D010818	Practice Patterns, Physicians'	Patterns of practice related to diagnosis and treatment as especially influenced by cost of the service requested and provided.	Clinical Practice Patterns,Physician's Practice Patterns,Clinical Practice Pattern,Pattern, Clinical Practice,Patterns, Clinical Practice,Practice Pattern, Clinical,Practice Patterns, Clinical,Practice Patterns, Physician's,Prescribing Patterns, Physician,Physician Practice Patterns,Physician Prescribing Pattern,Physician Prescribing Patterns,Physician's Practice Pattern,Physicians' Practice Pattern,Physicians' Practice Patterns,Practice Pattern, Physician's,Practice Pattern, Physicians',Practice Patterns, Physician,Prescribing Pattern, Physician
D012017	Referral and Consultation	The practice of sending a patient to another program or practitioner for services or advice which the referring source is not prepared to provide.	Consultation,Gatekeepers, Health Service,Hospital Referral,Second Opinion,Consultation and Referral,Health Service Gatekeepers,Hospital Referrals,Referral,Referral, Hospital,Referrals, Hospital,Consultations,Gatekeeper, Health Service,Health Service Gatekeeper,Opinion, Second,Opinions, Second,Referrals,Second Opinions
D005194	Family Practice	A medical specialty concerned with the provision of continuing, comprehensive primary health care for the entire family.	Family Practices,Practice, Family,Practices, Family
D006176	Gynecology	A medical-surgical specialty concerned with the physiology and disorders primarily of the female genital tract, as well as female endocrinology and reproductive physiology.
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man