ArticleRheumatology advances in practice2018
What moves the rheumatologist? Unravelling decision making in the referral of systemic sclerosis patients to health professionals: a qualitative study.
Article in Rheumatology advances in practice, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Rehabilitation Interventions in Systemic Sclerosis: A Systematic Review and Future Directions.Arthritis care & research · 2022Pooled it
- Referral patterns, influencing factors, and satisfaction related to referrals of patients with rheumatic diseases to other healthcare professionals: an online survey of rheumatologists.Rheumatology international · 2025Article
- Evidence and consensus-based recommendations for non-pharmacological treatment of fatigue, hand function loss, Raynaud's phenomenon and digital ulcers in patients with systemic sclerosis.Rheumatology (Oxford, England) · 2022Article
- Room for improvement in non-pharmacological systemic sclerosis care? - a cross-sectional online survey of 650 patients.BMC rheumatology · 2020Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesWell-coordinated multidisciplinary non-pharmacological care is considered to be a cornerstone in the management of patients with systemic sclerosis. However, it has been discovered that unmet information and health care needs are common in patients with SSc. In addition, referrals by rheumatologists do not always correspond with potential treatment goals as identified by health professionals. The aim of this study was to gain insight into the current referral routine of rheumatologists in SSc patients and to identify and explore factors influencing rheumatologists' decisions about referral of SSc patients to health professionals.
methodsQualitative semi-structured interviews were held with 13 rheumatologists specializing in SSc management from different hospitals in The Netherlands.
resultsOur study identified rheumatologists' beliefs and local policy as influencing factors for referral to health professionals and a clear need for a better referral policy. Furthermore, a lack of knowledge about and low confidence in the competence of other disciplines were identified as barriers for referral to health professionals, which may possibly lead to undertreatment.
conclusionIn the opinion of the majority of rheumatologists, adequate referral to health professionals requires an active role for the patient and increased visibility from health professionals.
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Registered trials
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