Rechtstreeks verwijzen door de jeugdarts bij verdenking op heupdysplasie: het perspectief van ouders

Abstract

ŠDirect referral by the child health care physician in case of suspicion of developmental dysplasia of the hip: the perspective of parentsAim Direct referral by the child health care (CHC) physician to secondary care seems useful in case of suspicion of developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH). Screening for DDH is based on physical examination and the identification of risk factors. Ultrasound (US) screening seems to lead to better medical and economic outcomes. As part of a study into the feasibility of implementation of US screening in the Netherlands, we studied how parents evaluated the referral process depending on the way they were referred to the orthopaedic surgeon -directly or via the general practitioner (GP)- in case of a suspicion of DDH.MethodsA questionnaire was developed to evaluate the experience of parents of infants who were referred. A total of 355 parents of infants who were referred between January 2008 and November 2008 received the questionnaire.ResultsThe response rate was 46.5%. Parents were more satisfied if they were directly referred by the CHC physician instead of indirectly via the GP. The time between referral and the first appointment with the orthopaedic surgeon was shorter if infants were directly referred. Finally, if parents evaluated the referral process as not stressful and if it proceeded fluently they were more satisfied.ConclusionBased on the perception of parents, this study provides a first indication that, with taking into consideration some important preconditions, direct referral to secondary care in the case of DDH is desirable.