Performance measures of the specialty referral process: a systematic review of the literature.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Performance of specialty referrals is coming under scrutiny, but a lack of identifiable measures impedes measurement efforts. The objective of this study was to systematically review the literature to identify published measures that assess specialty referrals.

Methods

We performed a systematic review of the literature for measures of specialty referral. Searches were made of MEDLINE and HealthSTAR databases, references of eligible papers, and citations provided by content experts. Measures were eligible if they were published from January 1973 to June 2009, reported on validity and/or reliability of the measure, and were applicable to Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development healthcare systems. We classified measures according to a conceptual framewo

SUBMITTER: Guevara JP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3155905 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature