| Source of record | UK Clinical Trials Gateway |
| ISRCTN | ISRCTN60533639 |
| Date ISRCTN assigned | 23/01/2004 |
| Local reference number(s) | PSI06-24 |
| Public title | 'In-house' referrals : a primary care alternative to immediate secondary care referrals. |
| Scientific title |
|
| Acronym | N/A |
| Disease/condition/study domain | Not applicable: Not applicable |
| Study hypothesis | Methods are needed to ensure that those patients referred from primary to secondary care are those most likely to benefit. In-house referral is the referral of a patient by a general practitioner to another general practitioner within the same practice for a second opinion on the need for secondary care referral. To describe whether in-house referral is practical and acceptable to patients, and the health outcomes for patients. |
| Design/methodology | Randomised controlled trial |
| Research ethics review | Not provided at time of registration |
| Countries of trial | United Kingdom |
| Participants - inclusion criteria | Patients judged to need hospital referral by their general practitioners. In the intervention practices, these patients were initially referred `in-house¿ to another GP in the same practice. In control practices, patients were referred directly to hospital. |
| Participants - exclusion criteria | Not provided at time of registration |
| Patient information material |
|
| Anticipated start date | 01/04/1995 |
| Anticipated end date | 01/04/1997 |
| Status of trial | Completed |
| Target number of participants | Not provided at time of registration |
| Interventions | Practices were randomized into an intervention or a control group. In intervention practices, patients with certain conditions who were about to be referred to secondary care were referred in-house. If the second clinician agreed referral was appropriate the patient was referred on to secondary care. In control practices patients were referred in the usual fashion. Patient satisfaction and health status was measured at the time of referral, 6 months and one year. |
| Primary outcome measure(s) | 1. Health status: SF 36
2. Patient Satisfaction: MISS |
| Secondary outcome measure(s) | Not provided at time of registration |
| Sources of funding | NHS Primary and Secondary Care Interface National Research and Development Programme |
| Sponsor name | Record Provided by the NHS R&D 'Time-Limited' National Programme Register - Department of Health (UK) |
| Sponsor details | The Department of Health
Richmond House
79 Whitehall
London
United Kingdom
SW1A 2NL |
| Sponsor telephone | +44 (0)20 7307 2622 |
| Sponsor fax | +44 (0)20 7307 2623 |
| Sponsor email | dhmail@doh.gsi.org.uk |
| Sponsor website | http://www.doh.gov.uk |
| Contact name | Dr Paul Kinnersley |
| Contact details | Department of General Practice
University of Wales College of Medicine
Llanedeyrn Health Centre
Maelfa
Cardiff
United Kingdom
CF23 9PN |
| Contact telephone | +44 (0)29 2054 1133 |
| Contact fax | +44 (0)29 2954 0129 |
| Contact email | Kinnersley@cf.ac.uk |
| More information | For more up-to-date information please go to the ISRCTN link below. |
| Link to record in ISRCTN Register | ISRCTN60533639 |
| Date last extracted from ISRCTN register | 17/04/2008 |
