Attitudes of family practice residents about speech-language-hearing referrals

Fam Pract Res J. 1991 Jun;11(2):217-23.

Abstract

The "family doctor" has been identified as the professional most likely to be contacted by the general public with concerns about communication disorders; yet the family practice physician is unlikely to refer patients with communicative disorders to speech-language pathologists or audiologists for nonmedical evaluation and treatment. The purpose of this study was to determine attitudes of family practice residents about referral patterns for communication disorders using a survey format. Thirty-nine residents estimated that they had referred an average of 1.5 patients to a speech-language pathologist and 2.2 patients to an audiologist during a six-month interval. The findings indicated that these residents did not routinely refer patients to speech-language pathologists. When they did refer, a limited view of communication problems was used.

MeSH terms

  • Attitude to Health*
  • Family Practice
  • Hearing Disorders / psychology*
  • Hearing Disorders / therapy
  • Humans
  • Language Disorders / psychology*
  • Language Disorders / therapy
  • Referral and Consultation*
  • Speech Disorders / psychology*
  • Speech Disorders / therapy