RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Communication at the interface: do better referral letters produce better consultant replies?
JF British Journal of General Practice
JO Br J Gen Pract
FD British Journal of General Practice
SP 217
OP 219
VO 53
IS 488
A1 Richard Grol
A1 Noor Rooijackers-Lemmers
A1 Leo van Kaathoven
A1 Huub Wollersheim
A1 Henk Mokkink
YR 2003
UL http://bjgp.org/content/53/488/217.abstract
AB A study of the quality of 637 referral letters from general practitioners (GPs) and corresponding reply letters from medical specialists showed that both types of letters can be improved, and that specific requests by GPs were addressed explicitly by the specialists in only a limited number of cases. Better referral letters resulted only partly in better reply letters. A letter is considered to be of higher quality when a specialist commences a letter with a reference to the specific request by the GP. In conclusion, opportunities for optimal communication should be better used.