Message placed in appropriate physician message slot in front office. Nurse picks up message. Nurse pulls patient chart. Nurse decides whether referral is urgent or non-urgent. Chart along with message from patient placed in appropriate location for physician.
Physician reviews chart notes, decides whether referral is appropriate.
If there are questions, physician or nurse calls patient to clarify the issue. Physician completes an internal referral information form which includes date, patient name, name of specialist to refer patient to, diagnosis requiring referral, reason for referral, name of insurance company, urgency of referral, etc. RS reviews info from physician and insurance information on patient chart. She checks to see if patient needs written referral to see a specialist. If patient needs written referral to see a specialist, RS will check to see if the particular condition which the patient is referred simply needs a referral form completed, or whether a phone call is necessary to the insurance company.