Table 3.

Challenges experienced in the interdisciplinary relationship, GPs. Question: A variety of challenges may arise when general practitioners and district specialists for outpatients collaborate on diagnosing cirrhosis. How often have you experienced the following challenges? (N = 2.701, GPs)

Statement	Frequently	Occasionally	Rarely	Never	No response
Resident gastroenterologists are fully booked long-term due to the many gastroduodenoscopy and colonoscopy tests they are required to perform.	69%	21%	6%	3%	1%
District specialists do not have the time to discuss mostly complex patient problems with you.	41%	39%	10%	8%	2%
There are too few nearby specialist internal medicine practices to diagnose liver counts the way I would like.	37%	36%	11%	15%	1%
Specialists do not brief patients enough, who then go back to general practitioners out of uncertainty.	30%	42%	13%	13%	2%
Gastroenterological district specialists are difficult for patients to reach.	35%	34%	16%	14%	1%
Specialists do not issue direct referrals to a liver centre on suspicion of cirrhosis, so patients come back to their general practitioners for the time being (going around in circles with time wasted).	23%	40%	20%	16%	1%
District specialists are booked out for too long, so I refer my patients straight to a specialist clinic.	21%	35%	19%	23%	2%
I have to wait for a long time for district specialists to pass on their findings.	19%	33%	20%	27%	1%
District specialists do not inform general practitioners enough about the tests they have conducted or the results and/or diagnoses they have made.	17%	35%	24%	23%	1%