Table 3.
Referral Rates for Adult Visits to PCPs by Reason for Visit Symptom, 1999–2002 vs. 2006–2009
| Symptom Category | Percentage of visits resulting in referral, % (SE) | Top 3 Most Frequently Referred Symptoms (RFV Code) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999–2002 | 2006–2009 | p-value | ||
| Cardiovascular | 8.46 (1.2) | 14.9 (1.8) | 0.001 | Chest pain (1050.1) Edema (1035.1) Abnormal palpitations (1260.0) |
|
| ||||
| Dermatologic | 10.1 (1.2) | 15.4 (1.3) | 0.03 | Skin rash (1860.0) Skin lesion (1865.0) Other growths of skin (1855.0) |
|
| ||||
| Ear/Nose/Throat | 4.49 (0.65) | 8.51 (0.8) | <0.001 | Earache pain (1355.1) Throat soreness (1455.1) Nasal congestion (1400.0) |
|
| ||||
| General/Viral | 6.11 (1.0) | 8.64 (1.2) | 0.120 | Tiredness/exhaustion (1015.0) Head cold, URI (1445.0) General ill feeling (1025.0) |
|
| ||||
| Gastrointestinal | 12.3 (1.2) | 17.7 (1.6) | 0.007 | Abdominal pain NOS (1545.1) Stomach and abdominal pain (1545.0) Anal-rectal bleeding (1605.2) |
|
| ||||
| Gynecologic/Breast | 21.7 (2.8) | 17.5 (3.0) | 0.14 | Lump or mass of breast (1805.0) Pain or soreness of breast (1800.0) Uterine and vaginal bleeding (1755.0) |
|
| ||||
| Neurologic | 9.64 (1.3) | 13.7 (1.5) | 0.08 | Headache pain in head (1210.0) Vertigo/dizziness (1225.0) Loss of feeling (anesthesia) (1220.1) |
|
| ||||
| Ocular | 18.5 (3.4) | 21.0 (3.3) | 0.54 | Diminished vision (1305.2) Other/unspecified eye symptoms (1335.0) Eye pain (1320.1) |
|
| ||||
| Orthopedic | 12.4 (0.93) | 16.5 (0.99) | 0.003 | Back pain (1905.1) Knee pain (1925.1) Shoulder pain (1940.1) |
|
| ||||
| Psychiatric | 8.37 (1.5) | 11.1 (1.5) | 0.054 | Depression (1110.0) Anxiety/nervousness (1100.0) Insomnia (1135.1) |
|
| ||||
| Pulmonary | 4.98 (0.87) | 6.85 (0.88) | 0.36 | Cough (1440.0) Shortness of breath (1415.0) Labored or difficult breathing (1420.0) |
|
| ||||
| Urologic | 11.6 (2.0) | 12.0 (1.5) | 0.78 | Urinary tract infection NOS (1675.0) Blood in urine (1640.1) Frequency/urgency of urination (1645.0) |
Only visits from patients aged 18 years and older to PCPs are included in this table. P-values calculated with survey-weighted χ2 test. RFV code = code used in the NAMCS “reason for visit” classification. Results in this figure from the NAMCS dataset only (physician specialty data not available in NHAMCS).