Referral

About: Referral is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 27614 publications have been published within this topic receiving 479918 citations.

Economics of general practice

Abstract: General (or family) practice and its role within primary care is increasingly regarded as the key to achieving efficiency and equity in many health care systems. This is particularly relevant where general practitioners (GPs) act as gatekeepers to specialist care. This chapter outlines the main economic issues in general practice. Within the context of gatekeeping, the first half of the chapter examines literature on agency, patient choice and preferences for GP services, and the utilisation of GP services. Given that much demand is determined by supply, this is followed by an examination of the determinants of referral behaviour, the effects of payment systems, and GPs as firms (partnerships and vertical integration). Overall, there has been little research by economists in these areas. This needs to be rectified giving the growing importance of primary care in many health care systems.

Consensus recommendations for improving adherence, self-management, and outcomes in patients with depression.

Abstract: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is often a chronic, recurrent, and debilitating disorder with a lifetime prevalence of 16.2% and a 12-month prevalence of 6.6% in the United States. The disorder is associated with high rates of comorbidity with other psychiatric disorders and general medical illnesses, lower rates of adherence to medication regimens, and poorer outcomes for chronic physical illness. While 51.6% of cases reporting MDD received health care treatment for the illness, only 21.7% of all MDD cases received minimal guideline-level treatment. Because the overwhelming majority of patients with depressive disorders are seen annually by their primary care physicians, the opportunity to diagnose and treat patients early in the course of their illness in the primary care setting is substantial, though largely unfulfilled by our current health care system. The goal of treatment is 2-fold: early and complete remission of symptoms of depression and eventual recovery to premorbid levels of functioning in response to acute-phase treatment, and prevention of relapse during the continuation phase or recurrence during the maintenance phase. However, only 25% to 50% of patients with MDD adhere to their antidepressant regimen for the length of time recommended by depression guidelines, and nearly 50% of depressed patients referred from primary care to specialty care treatment fail to complete the referral. Patients with chronic or treatment-resistant depression often require multiple trials using an algorithm-based approach involving more than one treatment strategy. Under conditions of usual care, 40% to 44% of patients with MDD treated with antidepressants in the primary care setting show a >or=50% improvement in depression scores at 4-month follow-up, compared with 70% to 75% of those treated using collaborative care models. This demonstrates the importance of factors other than antidepressant medication per se for achieving treatment effectiveness. Additional research is needed to evaluate longer-term outcomes of algorithm-based, stepped, collaborative care models that incorporate patient self-management in conjunction with usual care. Furthermore, the health care system must undergo major transformation to effectively treat depression, along with other chronic illnesses. The use of evidence-based treatment algorithms are discussed and recommendations are provided for patients and physicians based on collaborative care interventions that may be useful for improving the current management of depressive disorders.

Implementation of the Dutch low back pain guideline for general practitioners: a cluster randomized controlled trial.

Abstract: STUDY DESIGN: Cluster randomized controlled trial for a multifaceted implementation strategy. OBJECTIVES: To assess the effectiveness of tailored interventions (multifaceted implementation strategy) to implement the Dutch low back pain guideline for general practitioners with regard to adherence to guideline recommendations. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Guidelines for the management of low back pain in primary care have been developed in various countries, but little is known about the optimal implementation strategy. A multifaceted implementation strategy was developed to overcome identified barriers to the implementation of the Dutch low back pain guideline for general practitioners. METHODS: General practitioners were randomized to an intervention or a control group. The general practitioners in the intervention group (n = 21) received tailored interventions consisting of the Dutch low back pain guideline for general practitioners, a 2-hour educational and clinical practice workshop; two scientific articles on low back pain management; the guideline for occupational physicians; a tool for patient education; and a tool for reaching agreement on low back care with physical, exercise, and manual therapists. The control group (n = 20) received no intervention. The participating general practitioners were asked to recruit consecutive patients with a new episode of low back pain as the main reason for consultation. General practitioners completed registration forms of each individual consultation with regard to the main outcome measures: advice and information, referral to other health-care providers, and prescription of medication. RESULTS: Forty-one of the 67 randomized general practitioners reported on a total of 616 consultations for 531 patients with nonspecific low back pain. The advice and explanation provided by the general practitioners, the prescription of paracetamol or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and prescription of pain medication on atime contingent or a pain contingent basis showed no statistically significant differences between the intervention and control groups. There were also no differences in overall referral rate. However, in follow-up consultations fewer patients were referred to a physical or exercise therapist by the general practitioners in the intervention group than in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: The multifaceted intervention strategy modestly improved implementation (for parts of the recommendations in) the Dutch low back pain guideline by general practitioners and produced small concomitant changes in patient management. The implementation strategy produced fewer referrals to therapists during follow-up consultations.

Conceptual models for integrating palliative care at cancer centers.

Abstract: Palliative care programs are rapidly evolving in acute care facilities. Increased and earlier access has been advocated for patients with life-threatening illnesses. Existing programs would need major growth to accommodate the increased utilization. The objective of this review is to provide an update on the current structures, processes, and outcomes of the Supportive and Palliative Care Program at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center (UTMDACC), and to use the update as a platform to discuss the challenges and opportunities in integrating palliative and supportive services in a tertiary care cancer center. Our interprofessional program consists of a mobile consultation team, an acute palliative care unit, and an outpatient supportive care clinic. We will discuss various metrics including symptom outcomes, quality of end-of-life care, program growth, and financial issues. Despite the growing evidence to support early palliative care involvement, referral to palliative care remains ...

Service use by at-risk youths after school-based suicide screening.

Abstract: Objective We sought to examine follow-up service use by students identified at risk for suicidal behavior in a school-based screening program and assess barriers to seeking services as perceived by youths and parents. Method We conducted a longitudinal study of 317 at-risk youths identified by a school-based suicide screening in six high schools in New York State. The at-risk teenagers and their parents were interviewed approximately 2 years after the initial screen to assess service use during the intervening period and identify barriers that may have interfered with seeking treatment. Results At the time of the screening, 72% of the at-risk students were not receiving any type of mental health service. Of these students, 51% were deemed in need of services and subsequently referred by us to a mental health professional. Nearly 70% followed through with the screening's referral recommendations. The youths and their parents reported perceptions about mental health problems, specifically relating to the need for treatment, as the primary reasons for not seeking service. Conclusions Screening seems to be effective in enhancing the likelihood that students at risk for suicidal behavior will get into treatment. Well-developed and systematic planning is needed to ensure that screening and referral services are coordinated so as to facilitate access for youths into timely treatment.