Abstract
Introduction: Criticism is often made of general practitioners’ referrals to an orthopaedic service in a public hospital. There is often inadequate information about any previous treatment and it is difficult to assess the levels of pain and disability in the individual patient.
Method: A review of 200 referral letters from general practitioners for patients to attend as orthopaedic out-patients has been carried out. One hundred of these patients were from the North Shore Hospital catchment area and the rest were from the Auckland Hospital catchment area. The letters were analysed according to history, previous treatment, results of previous treatment, and investigations including results of blood tests and x-rays.
Results: An analysis of the results showed that, in general, 50% of the patients’ referrals were inadequately documented and, in particular, it was difficult to assess the individual patient’s level of pain and disability relating to the primary orthopaedic problem.
Discussion: It is suggested that referral letters should contain adequate information to start the initial prioritisation of patients to allow those who have the greater need to have access to the limited resources of the public hospital service.
The abstracts were prepared by Professor A. J. Thurston. Correspondence should be addressed to him at the Department of Surgery, Wellington School of Medicine, PO Box 7343, Wellington South, New Zealand
