DINIS, Inês; MAIA, Fátima; MENESES, Rute F.    SOUSA, Rafael. Portuguese family physicians views on the referral of children with language and communication problems. []. , 36, 2, pp.114-125. ISSN 2182-5173.  https://doi.org/10.32385/rpmgf.v36i2.12455.

Objectives: To understand Portuguese family physicians’ profile on the referral process of children with language and communication problems and to know what barriers they identify to it. Type of study: Observational, transversal and descriptive. Local: Central Region, Lisbon and Tejo Valley, North Region and Autonomic Region of Azores Population: Family physicians of Central region, Lisbon, and Tejo Valley, North region and Autonomic Region of Azores Methods: An online survey was designed with 35 Likert (0-5) questions and a semi-open one. It was then sent to family physicians in Portugal according to a non-probabilistic sampling method. Ethical e confidential constraints were guaranteed. Results: Fifty-five family physicians participated. About 40% of these physicians told they were substantially satisfied with the referral process; 55% said they were not satisfied or not very satisfied with knowledge acquired about language and communication development during medicine course; 58% of them told referrals to the Nacional Early Intervention System in Infancy occurs seldom or never. Moreover, six barriers to the referral process were identified: service constraints; lack of human resources; bureaucracy; slow process; lack of knowledge about the process; parent attitudes. Conclusions: The results of this study do not allow us to fully describe the Portuguese family physicians’ referral profile of children with language and communication problems. However, some trends in this process were identified, as well as major barriers.

: Speech and language disorders; Referral process; Family physician; Early intervention; Speech and language therapist.

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