Predictors for referral to physiotherapy from general practice

Objective - The aim of the study was to describe the referral rates from ge neral practice to physiotherapists and to investigate possible predictors f or referral. Methods - Referral rates per 100 patients per year were obtained from the h ealth insurance register of the county of Aarhus. General Practitioner (GP) characteristics were obtained via a questionnaire to all GPs in the county . Results - A total of 38 231 referred patients from 260 practices were inclu ded. Twice as many women as men were referred. Referral rates varied from 1 .6% to 13.2% between practices. Of the explored predictors "practice locati on", "female GP practices" and "GPs reporting frequent contact with physiot herapist regarding the treatment of individual patients" were statistically significant, but explained little of the variance in referral rates. Conclusion - The examined practice and GP characteristics explain little of the substantial variation in referral rates. In view of increasing health care expenses and the need for quality assurance, the large variation in re ferral rates warrants reflection and further research on indications for an d possible benefit from physiotherapy.