Open Access Journal of Sports Medicine Sports medicine in The Netherlands Matthijs C. de Bruijn, Boudewijn J. Kollen, Frank Baarveld Background: In The Netherlands, sports medicine physicians are involved in the care of about 8% of all sports injuries that occur each year. Some patients consult a sports physician directly, without being referred by a general practitioner. This study aims to determine how many patients consult a sports physician directly, and to explore differences in the profi les of these patients compared with those who are referred. Methods: This was an exploratory cross-sectional study in which all new patients presenting with an injury to a regional sports medical center during September 2010 were identifi ed. The characteristics of patients who self-referred and those who were referred by other medical professionals were compared. Results: A total of 234 patients were included (mean age 33.7 years, 59.1% male). Most of the injuries occurred during soccer and running, particularly injuries of the knee and ankle. In this cohort, 39.3% of patients consulted a sports physician directly. These patients were signifi cantly more often involved in individual sports, consulted a sports physician relatively rapidly after the onset of injury, and had received signifi cantly less care before this new event from medical professionals compared with patients who were referred. Conclusion: In this study, 39.3% of patients with sports injuries consulted a sports physician directly without being referred by another medical professional. The profi le of this group of patients differed from that of patients who were referred. The specifi c roles of general practitioners and sports physicians in medical sports care in The Netherlands needs to be defi ned further. Keywords: sports injuries, sports medicine physician, primary care, secondary care Consultation with a sports physician without referral by a general practitioner This article was published in the following Dove Press journal: Open Access Journal of Sports Medicine 2013:4 27–32 dicine physicians are consulted in about 8% of all cases.7 Sports medicine has been rapidly developing in The Netherlands, and familiarity with this specialty is increasing. Sports physicians assess sports-related symptoms and are available for assessment of athletes without the need for referral by a general practitioner, which is the normal procedure in primary care in The Netherlands. Sports physicians play an increasing role in sports medicine in The Netherlands, such that the annual number of patient contacts with these physicians has increased from 60,000 in 2003 to over 100,000 in 2010.3,7–10 Sports physicians assess patients with sports-related symptoms based on referrals by general practitioners, physiotherapists, and paramedics, but also treat so-called “selfreferrers” who consult them on Introduction Nowadays, sports and physical exercise play an important role in our society. Almost 50% of the Dutch population practice sport of some kind, either in a club or as individuals.1–5 In addition to the positive effects of sports and physical exercise, sports can lead to injuries which have a negative impact on an active lifestyle.6 About 3.5 million sport injuries are registered in The Netherlands each year, of which about 1.4 million are treated clinically. General practitioners see about 50% of clinically treated injuries, and sports me26 Sport & Geneeskunde | maart 2013 | nummer 1 their own initiative and thus bypass their general practitioner. It remains unclear why these athletes consult a sports physician directly. However, with more information about their motives, general practitioners and sports physicians might better adjust their treatment practice to the wishes of patients with sports-related injuries or complaints. A recent study of sports-related injuries in general practice shows that general practitioners usually record sports-related injuries based on symptoms rather than in a diagnosis-specifi c way.11 For most sports-related injuries, general Pagina 25
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Sport & Geneeskunde nummer 1 | Maart 2013 Lees publicatie 19Home