Hussain Ahmad, Syeda Nargis Jabeen, Afaq Rahim, Mukhtiar Zaman.
An Insight Into the Referral Letters Received at Pulmonology Unit of a Tertiary Care Hospital.
Pak J Chest Med Jan ;22(2):65-9.

Background:Referrals letters are an integral part of multidisciplinary approach to health care. Problems with quality and content of the referral letters have been documented in literature. The objective of this study was to study the content of referral letters received at Pulmonology unit of a tertiary care hospital. Materials and Methods: This was a prospective study of the referral letters received at Pulmonology unit, Khyber teaching hospital Peshawar, from 1 Feb 2016 till 30 April 2016. Patient's clinical information (brief history and examination), specific reason for referral, and identity of referring doctor (name/designation) were considered minimum requirements of the referral letters. The data was recorded in a structured proforma, analyzed via SPSS-19 and the results were presented as table or figures. Results: A total of 164 referral letters written on patient's charts were analyzed. Clinical history and examination was documented in 89.02% and 17.07% respectively, while specific reason for referral was mentioned in 42% only. Main reasons for referral included diagnostic problem (4.89%), therapeutic (37%), anesthesia fitness (12%), take over (10%), and interventions including pleural biopsy (5.4%), chest intubations (9.1%) and bronchoscopy (11.6%). Name of the referring doctor was missing in 87% of the letters. Conclusion: There is a need to develop a standardized referral letter with minimum essential information fields as the current referral practice needs improvement

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