[Protocol for coordination with primary care: a new working system in urology. Validation].
BACKGROUND
The Urology Unit at the Costa del Sol Hospital works in coordination with the primary health care network using diagnostic and therapeutic protocols.


OBJECTIVE
To know whether the system is effective based on the analysis of the quality of patient referral to Hospital according to the performance of family doctors.


METHODS
The referral document summarising the study conducted by the family doctor is analyzed. 578 correspond to conditions already coordinated and 269 to other situations not yet covered by the system.


RESULTS
For the coordinated conditions, 29% referrals are high quality and 45.9% are poor. For non-coordinated conditions however, 9.2% are high quality and 57.7% poor. The difference is statistically significant (p < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Work in coordination with primary health care is feasible, effective and probably cost-efficient.
Caballero Alcántara
J
J
Unidad de Urologia, Hospital Costa del Sol, Marbella.
Padilla León
M
M
Marchal Escalona
C
C
D006757:Hospital Units / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013030:Spain; D014572:Urology / Q000458:organization & administration*
Coordinación protocolizada con la asistencia primaria: nuevo sistema de trabajo en urología. Su validazación.