- Title
- General practice registrars' management of and specialist referral patterns for atopic dermatitis
- Creator
- Willems, Anneliese; Tapley, Amanda; Fielding, Alison; Tng, Vivian; Holliday, Elizabeth G.; van Driel, Mieke L.; Ball, Jean I.; Davey, Andrew R.; FitzGerald, Kristen; Spike, Neil A.; Magin, Parker J.
- Relation
- Dermatology Practical & Conceptual Vol. 11, Issue 1, no. e2021118
- Publisher Link
- http://dx.doi.org/10.5826/dpc.1101a118
- Publisher
- Mattioli 1885 SpA
- Resource Type
- journal article
- Date
- 2021
- Description
- Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common presentation in the general practice (GP) setting. Implementation of appropriate referral pathways is instrumental for best patient care and is an essential skill for Australian GP registrars. Objectives: We aimed to explore the prevalence and associations of GP registrar referrals to specialists for AD management. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis utilizing data from the Registrar Clinical Encounters in Training (ReCEnT) project, an ongoing cohort study that documents in-consultation clinical and educational experience of Australian GP registrars. Registrar, patient, and consultation factors associated with referrals for AD were established using logistic regression. Results: A A total of 3,285 (0.55%) of 595,412 diagnoses managed were AD, of which 222 (6.8%) resulted in referral. Of these referrals, 70% were to dermatologists, 17% to allergists/immunologists, and 10% to pediatricians. Associations of referral included registrar female gender, patient age, longer consultation duration; an established (rather than new) AD diagnosis; supervisor advice being sought; and learning goals being generated. Conclusions: Both registrar and patient factors influence AD referral patterns. Registrars referred established rather than newly diagnosed AD, suggesting a level of comfort in initial management. Referral was associated with longer consultations, seeking supervisor advice, and generation of learning goals—suggesting these are more complex presentations and, possibly, registrar learning opportunities. A significant proportion of referrals were to non-dermatologist specialists. The implication of this for optimal patient care is a subject for further study.
- Subject
- atopic dermatitis; eczema; referral and consultation; general practice; dermatologists
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1433280
- Identifier
- uon:39203
- Identifier
- ISSN:2160-9381
- Language
- eng
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