Where do young children in specialty care come from?: a preliminary investigation of the role of primary care physicians.

INTRODUCTION: Young children with mental health and developmental problems may not receive appropriate or timely interventions. Primary care physicians are well positioned to play an important role in the early identification and referral of such children. The objective of this pilot study was to explore the role primary care physicians played for a group of such children. METHODS: A single mailing of 1196 self-report questionnaires were sent to parents/caregivers of children under six years of age at four specialty centers in Ontario and Alberta. Key items on the survey included the role of primary care physicians (family physicians and community paediatricians). RESULTS: Twenty percent of parents/caregivers returned questionnaires. All children saw either a family physician or a community paediatrician, while 65% saw both. Families were more likely to have come to the specialty centre via a referral from a community paediatrician than a family physician. Ten percent reportedly received no referrals from a primary care physician, while 21% did not receive a referral to a specialty centre from these providers. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of children received at least one referral from a primary care physician. Further inquiry is required to determine the timeliness and appropriateness of these referrals.