The distribution of the demand from primary care in the mental health units could be a way of facilitating the coordination and improving the attention to patients. For this reason, in our unit we have made a repartition of the areas among the different psychiatrists.

To analyze if there was a correlation between the geographical origin of the patients or their primary care areas and the referrals, and between them and their attendance.

This is an epidemiological, analytic, prospective study of patients referred to our department. The following variables were collected: (1) referral protocol, (2) reason, (3) demographic data (origin, gender, age), (4) Primary Care area, (5) attendance to appointment, (6) diagnosis impression and (7) destination of referral. The SPSS 19.0 was used to analyze the data.

A total of 1048 patients were sampled. A statistically significant relationship hasn’t been found between place of residence, primary care area or areas of distribution in the Unit and attendance (Chi2). If we analyze the population of each distribution, we can describe similar percentages depending on the size of these.

Although a different distribution and a relationship is thought between some areas and the attendance or the number of referrals, we didn’t find out them in our sample.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Referrals to psychiatry from primary care has increased in recent years. This can be the result of the global economic situation and represents a problem for specialized care, because patients can’t usually be correctly attended to. On the other hand, patients who don’t come to visits make up other important issues that we must analyze.

To analyze the differences between patients who did not come for their first visit and those who did in order to try to describe variables that could be affecting them.

This is an epidemiological, analytic, prospective study of patients referred to our department. The following variables were collected: (1) referral protocol, (2) reason, (3) demographic data, (4) attendance to appointment, (5) diagnosis impression and (6) destination of referral. The SPSS 19.0 was used to analyze the data.

We studied a total of 1.048 patients for 15 months, of which 20.6% did not come to their first visit. A statistically significant relationship between attendance and gender, year of the appointment, adequate demand or not, previous follow-up and diagnosis was found (Chi2). However, if a logistic regression was carried out, only the adequacy of the demand was included in the model.

Coordination with general practitioners is essential to improve referrals and, most importantly, the attention to patients. If we can agree on the referral criteria, a better-personalized assistance can be offered to patients who have more difficulties in coming (because of characteristics of illness, place of residence, and other variables).

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.