Table 4 Factors influencing referral to rheumatologist for rheumatoid arthritis
From: Primary care physicians' perspectives towards managing rheumatoid arthritis: room for improvement
| Â | Â | Likelihood of referring | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Â | Total cohort | Very likely | Possible | Unlikely |
| Â | ( n = 266 a ) | ( n = 189) | ( n = 73) | ( n = 4) |
Situations leading up to referral | Â | Â | Â | Â |
   Advanced disease | 213 (80%) | 153 (81%) | 60 (82%) | 0 (0%) |
   Patient desire for a referral | 211 (79%) | 153 (81%) | 54 (74%) | 4 (100%) |
   Uncomfortable prescribing DMARDs | 186 (70%) | 152 (80%) | 33 (45%) | 1 (25%) |
   Patient comorbidities | 107 (40%) | 85 (45%) | 20 (27%) | 2 (50%) |
   Other | 14 (5%) | 11 (6%) | 3 (4%) | 0 (0%) |
Patients report of difficulty getting rheumatology appointmentb | Â | Â | Â | Â |
   Yes, most of the time | 74 (44%) | 49 (40%) | 25 (57%) | 0 (0%) |
   No, never | 95 (56%) | 74 (60%) | 19 (43%) | 2 (50%) |
Main reason for not referring | Â | Â | Â | Â |
   Do not know a rheumatologist | 19 (7%) | 10 (5%) | 9 (12%) | 0 (0%) |
   Rheumatology appointment too difficult to get | 73 (27%) | 46 (24%) | 27 (37%) | 0 (0%) |
   No need | 63 (24%) | 32 (17%) | 27 (37%) | 4 (100%) |
   Insurance problems | 107 (40%) | 74 (39%) | 33 (45%) | 0 (0%) |
   Other | 48 (18%) | 37 (20%) | 11 (15%) | 0 (0%) |