Development of strategies for patients' self-referral in tertiary hospitals in Gauteng Province

Abstract

INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND: Traditionally, patient referral occurs from a primary healthcare facility to a secondary or tertiary healthcare facility. Despite these formalised procedures in place, it has been reported within the global context that patients often circumvent these procedures and apply various forms of selfreferral to tertiary hospitals. Through self –referral to the high level of care, patients’ diagnoses and care are interrupted and get lost along the way. AIM/ OBJECTIVES: The overall aim of this study was to develop strategies for patients’ self-referral in tertiary hospitals in Gauteng. In order to achieve this aim, the specific objectives of the study were: Phase 1 Objective 1: To explore and describe current patients’ self-referral patterns from patients and healthcare professionals’ perspectives in tertiary hospitals in Gauteng Province. Phase 2 Objective 2: To develop strategies for managing patients’ self-referral in tertiary hospitals in Gauteng Province. METHODOLOGY: A qualitative research approach using critical ethnography was used. Purposive or judgment sampling was used as the researcher considers the participants to have a profound knowledge and in-depth information on the phenomenon. Data was generated through three phases: in-depth interviews with patients and healthcare professionals (registered nurses and doctors) rendering services to self-referred patients in Gauteng Chronic clinics based in tertiary hospitals; reviewing of relevant site documents; and imbizo as policy discussion forum between the service providers and users of the services were held for the development of patient self-referral strategies. Data was analysed through the analytic five steps framework as advocated by the nurse ethnographers Roper and Shapira (2000: 98). FINDINGS: From the analysis of data five themes emerged as the pathways.. These pathways are emergency admissions, word of mouth, admissions in disguise, enabling patients to pay for admission, human rights, and sense of belonging. CONCLUSION: This study provided a baseline data on self –referral of chronic disease patients in tertiary hospitals in Gauteng Province. Given the epidemiology of chronic disease in South Africa, there is a need for innovative ways of bending the costs for treatment of such. The implementation of National Health Insurance (NHI) will address this problem as NHI has to have a self –referral scheme. The use of the hybrid (new technology and traditional) strategies will facilitate access to care and empowerment of patients to initiate self –referral.