Diagnosis and referral flow in the single health system for climacteric women

Abstract

SUMMARY OBJECTIVE The association between gynecological diagnoses and their distribution across healthcare sectors benefits health promotion and the identification of topics for continued education of gynecological care. This study aimed to identify healthcare diagnoses and referral flow in climacteric women. METHODS This is a cross-sectional study conducted at the Women’s Health Clinic of the University Hospital, University of São Paulo, with a reference to gynecology and training for Residents of Family and Community Medicine, between 2017 and 2018. The medical records of 242 women whose sociodemographic and clinical information, gynecological diagnoses, and distribution of healthcare services (primary, secondary, and tertiary) had been processed were collected. Statistical analysis included the chi-square test and odds ratio. RESULTS Smoking (OR = 2.27, 95% CI 1.05–4.89; p = 0.035) was associated with the referral of climacteric women to higher complexity services. Considering the distribution of non-oncological diagnoses in climacteric patients, the chance of women being referred to medium- and high-complexity health services presented a 2-fold increase in cases of breast diseases, a 2.35-fold increase in cases of noninflammatory disorders of the female genital tract, and a 3-fold increase in cases of inflammatory diseases of the pelvic organs. CONCLUSION Climacteric women aged over 55 years, postmenopausal women, and smoking women were most frequently referred to medium- and high-complexity outpatient surgery.