Interprofessional communication is an integral part of optimized patient care.
“Physician-to-physician communication is vital to the success of…patient health outcomes.”1
Ensuring an efficient and effective referral process within your practice is just one way you can positively impact the quality of care your patients receive. In Eyes on Eyecare, an online resource that provides clinical and career education for optometrists and ophthalmologists, Drew Gann, OD, shares suggestions for streamlining the referral process:
- Ensure your office contact information (phone, fax, email, etc.) is up-to-date and working properly
- Utilize referral or summary report templates to promote clarity and reduce documentation time
- Develop practice procedures or workflows for handling inbound referrals
- When a referral is received, ancillary staff should ensure the patient is scheduled and seen in a timely fashion
- Consider sending a “no-show notice” to the referring provider when a patient misses their eye exam
- Utilize ancillary staff to send summary reports back to referring providers every time the patient is seen and evaluated
- Before sending a referral or summary report, call the receiving/referring physician’s office to clarify their preferred method of communication for referrals/reports
- Summary reports should be clear, succinct, and in a format that non-eye care providers can understand. Consider including:
- Assessment: What was patient referred for and what condition(s) found
- Examination: What are you doing for the patient regarding the condition(s) found
- Plan: Follow-up interval needed to manage condition and recommended treatments
- Follow-up with referring providers by phone or email to see if there are any additional questions about your evaluation and report
- Return messages and calls from other providers promptly. Answering questions in a timely manner can demonstrate readiness to-comanage this patient and future patients
- Referrals to outside providers (PCPs, Endocrinologists, Obstetricians, etc.) should be clear, complete, and include:
- a brief description of the patient’s chief complaint(s)
- the reason for referral
- any relevant patient history
- recent examination findings relevant to the complaint/referral
- Use EMR systems where appropriate to send referrals or summary reports to providers
“Breakdowns in communication can lead to poor quality of care, delayed diagnoses, polypharmacy, increased litigation risk, and unnecessary testing.” Streamlining your referral process can strengthen communication with other providers while enhancing the care your patients receive.
1. Gann, Drew (2023). Ways to Increase Optometry Referrals from Primary Care and Specialty Providers. Eyes on Eyecare