Table 4.
Referral Rates for Adult Visits to Specialists 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 | 7.39 (1.4) | 8.15 (1.6) | 0.51 | Chest pain (1050.1) Chest pressure/tightness (1050.2) Palpitations (1260.0) |
|
| ||||
| Dermatologic | 2.27 (0.33) | 2.43 (0.41) | 0.84 | Skin lesion (1865.0) Skin rash (1860.0) Other growths of skin (1855.0) |
|
| ||||
| Ear/Nose/Throat | 3.76 (0.66) | 7.45 (1.7) | 0.01 | Earache pain (1355.1) Diminished hearing (1345.1) Nasal congestion (1400.0) |
|
| ||||
| General/Viral | 7.87 (1.6) | 8.42 (2.1) | 0.74 | Tiredness exhaustion (1015.0) General weakness (1020.0) General ill feeling (1025.0) |
|
| ||||
| Gastrointestinal | 3.80 (0.66) | 10.6 (2.1) | <0.001 | Abdominal pain NOS (1545.1) Lower abdominal pain (1545.2) Upper abdominal pain (1545.3) |
|
| ||||
| Gynecologic/Breast | 3.68 (0.62) | 5.76 (0.77) | 0.04 | Lump or mass of breast (1805.0) Pelvic pain (1775.1) Pain or soreness of breast (1800.0) |
|
| ||||
| Neurologic | 6.34 (0.78) | 8.37 (0.85) | 0.08 | Headache pain in head (1210.0) Vertigo - dizziness (1225.0) Loss of feeling (anesthesia) (1220.1) |
|
| ||||
| Ocular | 4.71 (0.81) | 5.36 (0.78) | 0.52 | Diminished vision (1305.2) Extraneous vision (1305.3) Eye pain (1320.1) |
|
| ||||
| Orthopedic | 4.60 (0.48) | 8.78 (0.79) | <0.001 | Back pain (1905.1) Low back pain (1910.1) Neck pain (1900.1) |
|
| ||||
| Psychiatric | 1.94 (0.37) | 3.48 (0.55) | 0.005 | Depression (1110.0) Anxiety and nervousness (1100.0) Other psychological symptoms (1165.0) |
|
| ||||
| Pulmonary | 5.70 (1.3) | 7.30 (1.6) | 0.61 | Shortness of breath (1415.0) Cough (1440.0) Labored or difficult breathing (1420.0) |
|
| ||||
| Urologic | 3.13 (0.65) | 4.65 (0.96) | 0.12 | Involuntary urination (1655.1) Blood in urine (1640.1) Frequency and urgency of urination (1645.0) |
Only visits from patients aged 18 years and older to specialist physicians 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).