Referral protocol and teleconsultations to reduce waiting time for specialized oral medicine: a retrospective cohort study of TelessaúdeRS
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Objective
Primary health care (PHC) professionals must care for patients with oral problems while performing gatekeeping for specialized care. We explored the effect of a strategy combining referral protocols and teleconsultations on a waiting list.
Study design
This retrospective cohort study analyzed data from PHC to specialized oral medicine care from May/2014 to May/2016. The program started in May/2015, and referrals were divided into control and exposed groups. The median waiting time for in-person consultation and the proportion of referrals managed in PHC were analyzed for general and priority cases.
Results
There were 1464 referrals. The median waiting time for specialized consultation was reduced from 212 days (95%CI 196-227) to 131 days (I95%CI 95-166). For priority referrals, the control group had 37 days (95%CI 0 - 89) of median waiting time, and the exposed group had 12 days (95%CI 6 - 17).
Conclusions
Structured referral protocol and professional-to-professional consultations for oral disease improve referral waiting times. This benefit seems related to improving PHC efficacy.
