Abstract
Objectives : The aim of this study is to see the wishes of the patients who self-presented to the university hospital. Methods : The number of the patients who had the first contact to the Gunma University Hospital without referrals were obtained, and the patients wishes for access to specialists, the specific demands in the specialists and whether or not the patients had consulted to the other medical care before the presentation were studied using the data from the patients presented to the department of the General Medicine, Gunma University Hospital. Results : Of the patients who visited without referrals, 11.6% had no request to consult to the specialists. Of 1104 patients who wanted to go to specialists, 64.9% had no idea for the specific demands in the specialists. Of 2051 patients attended to the Department of the General Medicine, 48.9% had previous consultation before the presentation. Conclusions : The patients who self-presented to the university hospital have not necessarily the wishes for the consultation to the specialists. Many patients cannot decide which specialist should be consulted. From patients' view of medical care, the referral to specialists is not necessarily worked well.
