Differences among Ophthalmology Patients Referred to Tertiary Medical Centers according to Referral Hospital

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the diagnosis and severity of patients who were referred to tertiary medical centers according to the type and function of the referral hospitals. METHODS: First-visit patients referred from July 2015 to June 2016 were retrospectively reviewed with regard to referral hospital, final diagnosis, treatment necessity, and medical fees for the six months after their first hospital visit. Based on these data, differences in type and function of medical institution were examined. RESULTS: In a comparison of hospitals according to their number of beds, clinics, hospitals and, tertiary hospitals had no differences in the ratio of patients who needed treatment (p = 0.075) and their medical fees over six months (p = 0.372). When hospitals were classified by functional capability in terms of doctors' medical specialty, increasing ratios of patients requiring medical treatment (p < 0.001) and medical fees for six months (p < 0.001) were found in the order of non-eye specialists, eye specialists, and eye specialists in trainee hospital. CONCLUSIONS: Efficient healthcare delivery systems should classify medical institutions by functionality capability based on medical specialties rather than hospital size according to the number of beds.