A randomised controlled trial of joint consultations with general practitioners and cardiologists in primary care

Abstract

Background: Joint consultation sessions of a small group of general practitioners (GPs) and a specialist in orthopaedics proved to be an effective way of decreasing the referral rate of orthopaedic patients. Cardiac complaints comprise an important category of health problems with high referral rates.

Aims: To study the effects of joint consultation on the quality of care and referrals for patients with cardiac complaints.

Design of study: Randomised controlled trial.

Setting: Forty-nine GPs participated in 16 consultation groups, each with one of 13 cardiologists, in monthly joint consultations over a period of about 18 months.

Method: The GPs selected patients about whom they were uncertain, and those needing urgent referral were excluded. Patients were randomly assigned to joint consultation or to usual care. After a follow-up period all patients had a joint consultation for outcome assessment. Referral data were provided by two regional health insurance companies and questionnaires were given to the patients, GPs, and cardiologists to gauge their opinion of the trial.

Results: One hundred and forty-eight patients in the intervention group and 158 patients in the control group fulfilled the whole protocol. The quality of care was similar in both groups. In the intervention group, 34% of the patients were referred, compared with 55% in the control group (P = 0.001), and fewer patients underwent further diagnostic procedures (7% compared with 16%, P = 0.013). Referrals to cardiology as a proportion of all referrals decreased in the practices of the participating GPs, compared with their reference districts (P = 0.024).

Conclusion: Joint consultation is an effective method that provides a quality of care that at least equals usual care and that contributes to a better selection of patients who need specialist care.