Table 1.

Characteristics of Study Sample

CharacteristicsNo.%
* Numbers may not sum to 776 for each variable because of missing data.
Patient characteristics (n = 776 referred patients)*
Age
    0–19 y709.0
    20–39 y17923.1
    40–49 y14618.8
    50–59 y13317.2
    60–69 y12015.5
    ≥ 70 y12716.4
Sex
    Male31140.1
    Female46559.9
Patient/parent education
    Less than high school degree12115.6
    High school or some college37448.2
    College or technical school graduate20726.7
    Graduate or professional degree749.5
Annual family income
    <$20,00021530.7
    $20,000–$40,00021831.1
    $40,000–$60,00012317.5
    >$60,00014520.7
Patient race
    White69391.8
    Nonwhite628.2
Health plan characteristics
Health plan payer (n = 648)
    Private40863.0
    Medicaid7111.0
    Medicare14522.3
    Uninsured243.7
Gatekeeping and primary care payment type (n=630)
    No gatekeeping29446.7
    Gatekeeping with fee-for-service payment17728.1
    Gatekeeping with capitated payment15925.2
Referral decision characteristics (n = 776 referrals)
Type of specialist referred to
    Medical subspecialist25933.4
    Surgical subspecialist36246.6
    Obstetrician/gynecologist344.4
    Nonphysician clinician8911.5
    Mental health professional324.1
Primary expectation of specialist
    Consultation for advice8110.6
    Perform a test or procedure38550.3
    Shared responsibility for ongoing management22028.7
    Transferred responsibility for ongoing management8010.4
Expected duration of specialist involvement
    <3 mo49364.0
    3–12 mo17322.5
    >12 mo10413.5
Urgency of referral—how soon patient should see specialist
    <1 wk26534.6
    1 wk – 1 mo40652.9
    At the patient’s discretion9612.5
Duration of relationship with referring physician
    <3 mo9212.0
    3 mo – 5 y29538.5
    ≥5 y37949.5
Referring physician/staff scheduled specialist appointment
    No16321.2
    Yes60578.8
Referring physician gave patient the name of a specialist
    No8711.3
    Yes68688.7
Referring physician transferred patient information to specialist
    No11314.7
    Yes65585.3
Referring physician characteristics (n = 133 physicians)
Years in practice
    <5 y2821.1
    6–14 y3828.6
    ≥15 y6750.4
Sex
    Male10679.7
    Female2720.3
Specialty
    Family physician12392.5
    General internist107.5
Referring practice characteristics (n = 81)
Location
    Urban6784.8
    Rural1215.2
US census division
    Northeast1214.8
    Midwest2834.6
    South2429.6
    West1721.0
Size
    Solo, 2- to 3-physician practice3037.0
    Large practice (>3 physicians)5163.0