First-visit patients without a referral to the Department of Internal Medicine at a medium-sized acute care hospital in Japan: an observational study

摘要

PurposeWe sought to profile first-time patients without a referral who sought medical care at the Department of Internal Medicine at a medium-sized acute care hospital in Japan. We anticipated that the analysis would highlight the demand for medical care needs from acute care hospitals and help confirm one of the problems associated with primary care in Japan.