Developing a Functioning Referral System in Primary Health Care Setting
In order to provide comprehensive health services, developing a functioning referral system is essential in primary health care. This includes bidirectional communication facilities and different types of referrals, such as emergency and routine, to ensure patients receive appropriate care promptly.
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Presentation Transcript
Primary Health Care Assistant Professor Dr Waleed Arif Tawfeeq 2-3-2025 5/8/2025 10:49 AM
Developing and Developing and maintaining a maintaining a functioning referral functioning referral system: system: 5/8/2025 10:49 AM
In order to provide a comprehensive and integrated health service for the people, the referral system has been announced as one of the strategies to make the best use of hospitals and primary health care services . In this system, all patients should first be seen by primary health care physicians who decide whether a referral to secondary care is necessary. 5/8/2025 10:49 AM
-Facilities for bidirectional communication should include transportation, telephone, fax and computer floppy disc exchange (in the absence of a computer network). - Other means of communication (e.g. meetings, between specialists and general practitioners should be encouraged so that they can develop a better understanding of their roles. telephone conversations) 5/8/2025 10:49 AM
I) Referral system: When Referral is the process in which the family physician at the family health unit or center who has inadequate skills due to his qualification and/ or lesser facilities at his level to manage a clinical condition. He seeks the assistance of a better equipped and qualified specialist, with better resources at the higher level to guide him in managing a clinical condition. Referral does not responsibility; it is sharing responsibility in patient care Whom How mean transferring What 5/8/2025 10:49 AM
Types of Referral In health centre practice, a referral was requested in two main situations: a) Emergency b) Routine 5/8/2025 10:49 AM
Emergency referral: Applied in emergency cases which could not be totally managed at the health centre. Emergencies were defined and classified according to Principles and practice of primary health care, which is used as a manual at the health centers 5/8/2025 10:49 AM
Routine referral was usually made to: Seek expert opinion regarding a patient Seek admission and management of a patient Seek facilities for investigation Details of the strategies and referral procedures are described according to guidelines were adhered to by the physicians. Standards for the referral procedure included results of clinical examination, social history, current treatment (if any) and reasons(s) for referral However, there were no set clinical criteria for referral for each clinical condition 5/8/2025 10:49 AM
The Benefits of referral System Clients Family physician Consultants 5/8/2025 10:49 AM
Clients Early detection of cases Avoid loss from one hospital to another Save time and efforts Draw the attention of the specialist
Family physician Learning and training process Gaining self-confidence Help in organizing follow-up services Improve the image of the health center Increase communication between the health personnel
Consultants Save time and efforts, so relief hospitals from the burden Can gather data about the patient leading to improve the quality of the management patient s
1 1- -Referral Referral protocol protocol: : 2 2- -Functional Functional centers centers: : links links with with referral referral 3 3- -Active Active supervision supervision and education education: : and consulting consulting 4 4- -Reception Reception referral referral centers of of referral referral cases cases in in centers: : 5/8/2025 10:49 AM
Primary health care requires many inputs: 1- Appropriate qualified personnel who know their tasks well and carry them out competently; 2- Efficient management systems so that work inside and outside the centers is accomplished successfully; 5/8/2025 10:49 AM
3- High recognition to boost the morale of workers and increase their commitment. 4- Effective continuing education programs so that primary care teams are kept up-to-date in their fields. 5/8/2025 10:49 AM
5- Communication between primary health care and hospitals. 6- Well equipped center, the PHC should be supplied with high tech. instruments to provide high quality service. 5/8/2025 10:49 AM
Referral system in PHC PHC center in the catchment s area (First care level) District general hospital Health information system Special/ Teaching hospital PHCC General Hospital 3rd level special hospital It is two ways system x one way Active x passive Mutually supportive x not supported 5/8/2025 10:49 AM
