Abstract

Introduction: at the Health Center of Níjar (Andalusia, Spain) we evaluated the impact of the change in the care process by introducing direct referral from family doctors to Physiotherapy in Primary Care, as a possible tool for improving the quality of care. Materials and method: observational cross-sectional study, after 7 years of change in the mode of referral by the specialist in family and community medicine to the consultation of Primary Care Physiotherapy, having as main measurement the delay in patient care in days. Results: regarding the patients who start treatment derived from hospital care and from primary care there are statistically significant differences between the delay times (p < 0.05). This occurs both globally and stratifying by types of treatment (group-individual), finding significant values (p < 0.001). The comparison with the delay times of another unit are statistically significant, p < 0.001, being the unit delays where the users are directly referred to physiotherapy less than in the comparison unit. Conclusion: the results regarding the delay times were in favor of the change and transformation of the derivation of Physiotherapy to Primary Care. By using the first physical therapy consultation for the management of appointments of the physicians of the referral center, there is the possibility of reducing the demand for specialized care assistance for the same pathological process.