Table 1.
Distribution of GPs’ agreement with nine predetermined reasons for referral (595 referrals)
| Reasons for referral | Does not correspond, % (95% CI) | Corresponds to a limited extent, % (95% CI) | Corresponds fairly well, % (95% CI) | Corresponds very well, % (95% CI) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medically necessary | 0.8 (0.3 to 2.0) | 6.2 (4.4 to 8.5) | 28.6 (25 to 32.4) | 64.4 (60.4 to 68.2) |
| Common practice | 6.5 (4.7 to 8.9) | 8.1 (6.0 to 10.6) | 34.3 (30.5 to 38.3) | 51.1 (47.0 to 55.2) |
| To avoid overlooking anything | 50.8 (46.7 to 54.9) | 21.7 (18.4 to 25.2) | 18.1 (15.1 to 21.5) | 9.4 (7.2 to 12.1) |
| Perceived deficient medical knowledge | 51.6 (47.5 to 55.7) | 27.2 (23.7 to 31.0) | 15.8 (13.0 to 19.0) | 5.4 (3.7 to 7.5) |
| To reassure the patient | 63.7 (59.7 to 67.6) | 21.7 (18.4 to 25.2) | 10.7 (8.4 to 13.5) | 3.9 (2.5 to 5.7) |
| Patient preference | 40.8 (36.9 to 44.9) | 15.5 (12.7 to 18.6) | 22.4 (19.1 to 25.9) | 21.3 (18.1 to 24.9) |
| Social security application | 98.8 (97.6 to 99.5) | 0.7 (0.2 to 1.7) | 0.2 (0.004 to 0.9) | 0.3 (0.04 to 1.2) |
| To relieve workload | 91.1 (88.5 to 93.2) | 6.9 (5.0 to 9.2) | 1.5 (0.7 to 2.9) | 0.5 (0.1 to 1.5) |
| Perceived easily accessible specialist | 75.3 (71.6 to 78.7) | 11.8 (9.3 to 14.6) | 8.7 (6.6 to 11.3) | 4.2 (2.7 to 6.1) |