Referral tickets to secondary healthcare : is communication effective?

Abstract

Communication between primary and secondary health care relies primarily on referral tickets. They determine how patients’ details are conveyed and hence the quality of care. The aim of this study was to assess the quality of referral tickets at the Surgical Outpatients at Mater Dei Hospital in Malta and to develop recommendations for improvement. Consecutive referral tickets between the 7th February and 4th March 2015 were prospectively included in the study and analysed for completeness. The data was entered into a proforma which was revised after the first ten entries. A total of 351 referral tickets were included in the study. Names and surnames were present in all reports and identification number in 99.42% of cases. 44.16% of referrals were inappropriate according to clinical details. The majority of the forms had a history of presenting complaint (98.29%) while the past history, drug history / allergies and examination findings were available in 69.23%, 67.81% and 76.64% respectively. The source of referral was not clear in 56.13%. Only 69.23% of all referral tickets were completely legible while 30.77% were partly legible. This study shows the need for an overhaul in the referral system. Recommendations include the use of electronic referrals and the introduction of feedback letters by hospital specialists.