[Patient referral and patient volume in a regional hospital].
BACKGROUND
A general trend in health care is the increasing discrepancy between resources available and the volume of patients treated. Few studies have looked at a reduction in patient referral as a possible explanation for this situation.


METHODS
The volume of hospital admissions and outpatient care 1996 through 2000 at a large regional hospital was related to the number of referrals over the same period.


RESULTS
There was an overall increase in patient admissions as well as in outpatient care during the study period. However, while the number of new referrals seen as outpatients dropped by 1.2%, the number of patients in for controls increased by 27.1%. While some departments had an increase in both admissions and new outpatients, other departments had a dramatic decrease in new patient contacts but total patient volume was maintained by a comparable increase in control consultations. At the same time, there was a 15.1% overall drop in new patient referrals (new referrals for admissions down 44.4%, new referrals for outpatient care down 11.4%), in some departments even more.


CONCLUSIONS
The study shows that patient demand for hospital care is not unlimited and should also be considered when more resources allocated to hospitals do not result in increased patient volume.
Bratlid
Dag
D
Barneklinikken St. Olavs Hospital 7006 Trondheim. dag.bratlid@medisin.ntnu.no
D001509:Bed Occupancy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006292:Health Priorities; D006295:Health Resources; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D009664:Norway; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014850:Waiting Lists
Pasienttilgang og pasientbehandling ved et regionsykehus.