title: [Factors that influence interdepartmental referrals between Surgical Departments and Internal Medicine].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To analyse the long term outcome of the age and comorbidity of patients admitted to Surgical Departments, the number of referrals to Internal Medicine made by these Departments, and to assess whether there are seasonal variations and the call/reject effect.
  
  
  METHODS
  We compared the age, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), and the number of referrals made by Traumatology, General Surgery and Urology of patients discharged in 2000, with those discharged in 2007. Seasonal variations and the call/reject effect were studied by analysing all the interdepartmental referrals made by all the surgical departments from the year 2000 to 2007.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Age increased by 5.6% between 2000 and 2007, the CCI by 5.8%, and interdepartmental referrals by 60%. Interdepartmental referrals decreased in July and August, whilst they increased in January, February, June and October, up to 64% more in January, although with variations of almost 50% in the same month. We detected differences of up to 68.2% in the referrals requested to different physicians.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We observed a sharp increase in the requests for referral to Internal Medicine by Surgical Departments of our hospital, which is not explained by the increase in admissions to these Departments, and which could be associated with the increase in age and comorbidity of their patients. Requests for interdepartmental referral have marked monthly variations and also as regards the Consulting Physician.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Medicina Interna, Hospital Universitario Príncipe de Asturias, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, España. emontero.hupa@salud.madrid.org
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Montero Ruiz
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pérez Sánchez
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gómez Ayerbe
authors.forename: José María
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Barbero Allende
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: García Sánchez
authors.forename: Joaquín
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: López Álvarez
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012621:Seasons; D013503:Surgery Department, Hospital