Chapter 11
Follow-Up And Referrals
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CHAPTER 11: FOLLOW-UP AND REFERRALS
This chapter looks into visit disposition for the encounters. Visit disposition in this context refers to the follow-ups and referrals made by the primary healthcare providers. The doctors were allowed to
record more than one visit disposition for each encounter. Each of the visit dispositions was linked to the diagnosis of which the patient was followed upreferred.
11.1 NUMBER OF FOLLOW-UPS AND REFERRALS
There were a total of 49,593 encounters 35.0 with at least one follow-up or referral during visit to primary care clinics. In general, 67.0 of encounters at public clinic and 21.5 encounters at private
clinics were given a follow-up or referral. Table 11.1 shows the number and rate per 100 encounters for IROORZXSDQGUHIHUUDOVWRVSHFLÀFFDWHJRULHV
2YHUDOOIROORZXSZHUHJLYHQLQRXWRIHQFRXQWHUVROORZXSZDVPRUHIUHTXHQWO\JLYHQ for patients in public clinics 63.3 per 100 encounters compared to private clinics 19.4 per 100
encounters. 5HIHUUDOVFRQVWLWXWHGDOHVVHUSURSRUWLRQZLWKRQO\UHIHUUDOVIRUHYHU\HQFRXQWHUV6LPLODUO\
there were more referrals given for patient visiting public clinics. 0RVWRIWKHUHIHUUDOVZHUHWRWKHKRVSLWDOVZLWKDUDWHRIRXWRIHQFRXQWHUVDWSXEOLFFOLQLFV
and 1.4 out of 100 encounters at private. ,QWHUHVWLQJO\RQO\GRFWRUVIURPWKHSXEOLFFOLQLFVUHIHUUHGSDWLHQWVWRDOOLHGKHDOWKSURIHVVLRQDOVDWD
rate of 0.9 per 100 encounters. This is facilitated by the presence of multidisciplinary primary health care teams including resident allied health professionals in the public clinics.
Table 11.1: Follow-up and referrals in primary care clinics in 2012
Visit Disposition Overall
Public Private
Number Rate per 100
encounters 95 CI
n = 141,593 Number
Rate per 100 encounters
95 CI n = 42,340
Number Rate per 100
encounters 95 CI
n = 99,253
Follow-up
a
46,043 32.5 32.3 - 32.8 26,781
63.3 62.8 - 63.7 19,261
19.4 19.2 - 19.7 At least one referral
b
5,873 4.1 4.0 - 4.3
3,065 7.2 7.0 - 7.5
2,808 2.8 2.7 - 2.9
Referrals 6,196
4.7 4.6 - 4.9 3,202
6.6 6.3 - 6.9 2,994
2.9 2.8 - 3.1 Referral
to Hospital
2,803 2.0 1.9 - 2.1
1,434 3.4 3.2 - 3.6
1,369 1.4 1.3 - 1.5
Specialist 2,581
1.8 1.8 - 1.9 1,183
2.8 2.6 - 3.0 1,398
1.4 1.3 - 1.5 Allied Health
Professionals 374
0.3 0.2 - 0.3 374
0.9 0.8 - 1.0 -
- Others
439 0.3 0.3 - 0.3
211 0.5 0.4 - 0.6
227 0.2 0.2 - 0.3
a Total number of patients given follow-up b Total number of patients given at least one referral