BACKGROUND A well-functioning referral system is fundamental to primary health care delivery. Understanding the providers' referral decision-making process becomes critical. This study's aim was to assess the correctness of diagnoses and appropriateness of the providers' referral decisions from health centers (HCs) to district hospitals (DHs) among patients with severe malaria and pneumonia. ...

Self-referral by physicians is a source of frequent debate.1 In some circumstances, selfreferral can result in better continuity of care, speedier diagnoses, and improved timely access to health care services. From an ethical and legal perspective, however, self-referral is often criticised because it can result in a conflict of interest between a physician’s primary legal and ethical duty to a...

PURPOSES To study the resolution improvement of endocrine diseases in primary care using communication and information technology (IT). Reduce number of inappropriate appointments to specialist care visits. Direct line establishment of communication between primary care and specialist care and provide quick and useful advices to GPs. MATERIALS AND METHODS The GP establishes appointments for p...

Pharmacists are increasingly recognised as being an integral part of the multidisciplinary microbiology and infectious diseases team. In June 2003, the Department of Health announced specific funding for hospital pharmacists to expand their roles within anti-infective management. Many specialist posts have now been created, each with a remit reflecting the needs of their hospital trust, but wit...

We examined the nature of the referral patterns in the email telemedicine network operated by the Swinfen Charitable Trust with a view to informing long-term resource planning. Over the first six years of operation, 62 hospitals from 19 countries registered with the Trust in order to be able to refer cases for specialist advice; 55 of these hospitals (89%) actually referred cases during this pe...