Table 2.
Correlation between practice location and referral behavior of GPs treating patients with suspected fractures
| Major cities | Small towns | Rural areas | p-value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of practices (n = 278) | 77 (27.7%) | 117 (42.1%) | 84 (30.2%) | |
| “If a bone fracture seems likely, where will you refer to?” | ||||
| Referral to | ||||
| - Outpatient surgery |
60.5% n = 46/76 |
66.1% n = 76/115 |
65.5% n = 55/840 |
p = 0.711 |
| - Radiologic department |
51.3% n = 39/76 |
22.6% n = 26/115 |
26.2% n = 22/84 |
p < 0.001 |
| - Emergency department |
15.8% n = 12/76 |
27.0% n = 31/115 |
21.4% n = 18/84 |
p = 0.188 |