ArticleJournal of the colleges of medicine of South Africa2024
Doctors' experiences regarding patient referral to tertiary care in Pretoria, South Africa.
Article in Journal of the colleges of medicine of South Africa, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Emergency medical services in the Limpopo province: Is there a need for change and is trauma different?South African family practice : official journal of the South African Academy of Family Practice/Primary Care · 2026Observational
- Patients' views of the healthcare services during power outages in Pretoria Primary Healthcare.Journal of the colleges of medicine of South Africa · 2026Article
- Evaluating referrals between rural district hospitals and a regional hospital in South Africa.African journal of primary health care & family medicine · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
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Abstract
Background: Patient referral is an essential component of patient care that cannot be underscored. Despite the fact that the regulations and steps involved are well known, little is known about the experiences of referring doctors during the process, as well as the factors that support or impede the referral. This study aimed to investigate doctor's experiences regarding patient referral to tertiary care in Pretoria, South Africa. Methods: A qualitative study using a descriptive phenomenology design and involving one-on-one interviews with eight doctors from Jubilee District Hospital who had referred patients to Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital, in Pretoria, South Africa. Results: Eight themes were identified from the analysis: estimated time taken to refer patient, attitudes of the receiving doctors towards patient referral, applicability of the receiving doctors' advice prior to the referral, referring doctors' perceptions regarding the receiving doctors' attitudes towards patient referral, consequences of delays on patient care; strategies to address referral issues, experience regarding transportation of patients being referred and recommendations to improve the referral system. These are further expanded upon by six related sub-themes. Conclusion: The referral process from a district hospital (Jubilee Hospital) to a tertiary care (Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital) is onerous, with barriers being experienced at almost every step. A variety of issues hindered this process, including administrative, logistical and communication barriers that left referring doctors almost demotivated. Contribution: The challenging experiences from referral highlight the significance of paying close attention to patient referral in order to avoid compromising patient care.
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