Association between referral request characteristics and time to colonoscopy using univariate quantile regression for all patients (n=367) diagnosed as having colorectal cancer in one tertiary care centre from June 2001 to June 2007
| Independent variable | n (%) | Median time | |||
| Days | Coefficient | SE | p Value | ||
| Model 1 | |||||
| Provisional diagnosis (clue codes) | |||||
| 1clue | 166 (45.2) | 54.5 | Referent | ||
| 2 clues | 145 (39.5) | 83.0 | 28.8448 | 12.1326 | 0.02 |
| 3 clues | 46 (12.5) | 36.5 | −15.2789 | 17.7847 | 0.39 |
| 4+ clues | 10 (2.7) | 4.0 | −50.1552 | 34.7546 | 0.15 |
| Model 2 | |||||
| Inpatient | |||||
| Yes | 84 (22.9) | 2.0 | Referent | <0.0001 | |
| No | 283 (77.1) | 84.0 | 82.0000 | 5.4216 | |
| Model 3 | |||||
| Urgency marked | |||||
| Routine | 184 (50.1) | 107.5 | Referent | ||
| Next available | 16 (4.4) | 84.0 | −18.8797 | 9.7942 | 0.05 |
| <30 days | 44 (12.0) | 69.0 | −37.7064 | 6.3060 | <0.0001 |
| <1 week | 123 (33.5) | 3.0 | −104.471 | 4.3765 | <0.0001 |
| Model 4 | |||||
| Specialty of provider | |||||
| Primary care | 277 (75.5) | 70.0 | Referent | ||
| Non-primary care | 90 (24.5) | 14.0 | −56.0000 | 13.3429 | <0.0001 |
| Model 5 | |||||
| Non-electronic contact | |||||
| Inpatient contact | 84 (22.9) | 2.0 | −97.0000 | 5.3366 | <0.0001 |
| Outpatient contact | 42 (11.4) | 20.0 | −75.8811 | 7.0426 | <0.0001 |
| No contact | 241 (65.7) | 99.0 | Referent | ||
| Model 6 | |||||
| Patient adherent to 1st referral | |||||
| Yes | 313 (85.3) | 41.0 | Referent | <0.0001 | |
| No | 53 (14.4) | 308.0 | 267.0000 | 15.5598 | |