The Open Sports Medicine Journal

2008, 2 : 47-49
Published online 2008. DOI: 10.2174/1874387000802010047
Publisher ID: TOSMJ-2-47

Physician Satisfaction with Primary Care Sports Medicine Referrals

Eric Thomas Warren , David Evan Price , Robert Lee Jones and Michael Flint Dulin
Department of Family Medicine, Carolinas Medical Center, 3209 Champaign Street, Charlotte, NC 28210, USA.

ABSTRACT

Objectives:

To determine the satisfaction of physicians referring to Primary Care Sports Medicine (PCSM) specialists.

Study Design:

Epidemiologic survey.

Setting:

Online survey.

Participants:

Physicians at local medical practices that had referred at least one patient to the PCSM Clinic of a teaching hospital were invited to participate.

Interventions:

Not applicable.

Main Outcome Measurements:

Survey questions centered on physician demographics, and whether or not the responding physician had ever referred a patient to a PCSM specialist. If a referral had been made, satisfaction with the patient’s care was evaluated.

Results:

37 of 86 physicians invited to participate responded to the survey (43% response rate). Identified specialties included Pediatrics (16%), Family Medicine (81%), and Occupational Medicine/Pulmonology (3%). 27 of 37 responding physicians (73%) had referred at least 1 patient to a PCSM specialist, and all (100%) were satisfied with the care given and planned to refer again. The remaining physicians, 10 of 37 (27%), had not referred to a PCSM provider, though 2 of these respondents were PCSM specialists.

Conclusion:

Physicians referring to a PCSM provider were satisfied with the care provided and planned to refer again.

Keywords:

Primary care sports medicine, referral, satisfaction.