[The demand stemming from general medicine consultations of primary care teams managed by INSALUD. Instituto Nacional de la Salud].

We report the results of the study of the referrals to specialized care during the second quarter of 1989 in the primary health care teams run by the National Institute of Health (INSALUD). The average rate was 6.9 referrals/100 medical visits with an important degree of variability among the teams. The teams with the highest referral rates showed valves three times higher than those with lowest rates (11.8/100 vs. 3.5/100). There was also variability among regions (Autonomous Communities). The teams that referred more frequently also used diagnostic procedures more often. The number of patients visited did not play a relevant role in the referral pattern.