biostudies-literatureVargas IEuropean Commission Seventh Framework Programme494-504https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC5894081biostudies-literatureUnknown33(4)An adequate use of referral and reply letters-the main form of communication between primary care (PC) and out-patient secondary care (SC)-helps to avoid medical errors, test duplications and delays in diagnosis. However, it has been little studied to date in Latin America. The aim is to determine the level and characteristics of PC and SC doctors' use of referral and reply letters and to explore influencing factors in public healthcare networks of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Uruguay. A cross-sectional study was conducted through a survey of PC and SC doctors working in public healthcare networks (348 doctors per country). The COORDENA questionnaire was applied to measure the frequency of use and receipt of referral and reply letters, quality of contents, timeliness and Health policy and planningUnderstanding communication breakdown in the outpatient referral process in Latin America: a cross-sectional study on the use of clinical correspondence in public healthcare networks of six countries.PMC5894081305197FP7/2007–2013Garcia-Subirats IMogollon-Perez ASVazquez MLEguiguren PVargas IFerreira-de-Medeiros-Mendes MMuruaga MCBertolotto FCisneros AIfalseUnderstanding communication breakdown in the outpatient referral process in Latin America: a cross-sectional study on the use of clinical correspondence in public healthcare networks of six countries.An adequate use of referral and reply letters-the main form of communication between primary care (PC) and out-patient secondary care (SC)-helps to avoid medical errors, test duplications and delays in diagnosis. However, it has been little studied to date in Latin America. The aim is to determine the level and characteristics of PC and SC doctors' use of referral and reply letters and to explore influencing factors in public healthcare networks of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Uruguay. A cross-sectional study was conducted through a survey of PC and SC doctors working in public healthcare networks (348 doctors per country). The COORDENA questionnaire was applied to measure the frequency of use and receipt of referral and reply letters, quality of contents, timeliness and 2018-01-01T00:00:00Z2018 May2026-05-30T00:55:14.045Z2019-03-26T23:43:22ZS-EPMC58940812945240110.1093/heapol/czy016