Desirable Characteristics of Consulting Cardiologists for Sustained Referrals by Primary Care Physicians

Accountable care organization and high quality affordable patient care requires impeccable team work between primary and specialist care physicians. Limited data exists on evaluation of factors that lead to termination of referrals between primary care physicians and cardiologists.  Using an 11 point questionnaire of potential factors for cause of termination of referrals to cardiologists, 103 primary care providers were interviewed. Out of 103 primary care providers interviewed in Little Rock, Arkansas and Chicago, Illinois, 84 providers were practicing in the city limits and 19 in the rural areas. The most important factors that result in termination of referrals between primary care physicians and cardiologists include cardiologist's bedside manners as perceived by the patient, poor feedback to the primary care provider from the cardiologist, and the patients not getting their questions fully answered by the cardiologist during the visit.