A review of hearing screening programs found varied initial referral rates (screen positive results) from 0.6% to 16.7%.
The referral rate fell in six of the seven zones.
The variation in referral rates among general practice was much less than that reported in hospitals.
We found two practices (in zone D) with referral rates above 100/1000.
Furthermore, the patients are more likely to follow through with primary care services, with referral rates around 80-90%.
Another reason for expecting fundholders' referral rates to fall after April 1991 had to do with the way in which their budgets were set.
These data were used to calculate annual referral rates using the practice populations as the denominator.
Some of the control practices increased their referral rates quite dramatically in phase 2.
The study also confirms that referral rates are lower in areas where there is no local renal unit nearby.
The school had one of the highest referral rates in the city last year.
