Analysis of geographical distribution of referrals to psychiatry from primary care

Abstract

Introduction

The distribution of the demand from primary care in the mental health units could be a way of facilitating the coordination and improving the attention to patients. For this reason, in our unit we have made a repartition of the areas among the different psychiatrists.

Objectives

To analyze if there was a correlation between the geographical origin of the patients or their primary care areas and the referrals, and between them and their attendance.

Methods

This is an epidemiological, analytic, prospective study of patients referred to our department. The following variables were collected: (1) referral protocol, (2) reason, (3) demographic data (origin, gender, age), (4) Primary Care area, (5) attendance to appointment, (6) diagnosis impression and (7) destination of referral. The SPSS 19.0 was used to analyze the data.

Results

A total of 1048 patients were sampled. A statistically significant relationship hasn’t been found between place of residence, primary care area or areas of distribution in the Unit and attendance (Chi²). If we analyze the population of each distribution, we can describe similar percentages depending on the size of these.

Conclusions

Although a different distribution and a relationship is thought between some areas and the attendance or the number of referrals, we didn’t find out them in our sample.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.