Referral in Family Medicine
Dr. Khalid AlQumaizi
ALMAAREFA UNIVERSITY
Objectives
By the end of this lecture, the student will be able to:
- Define referral
- Know types of referrals
- Know causes of referrals
- Write a referral letter
- Address causes of inappropriate referrals
Definition
- A referral is a request from one physician to another to assume responsibility for management of one or more of a patient’s specified problems.
- A consultation is a request from one physician to another for an advisory opinion.
- A transfer of care occurs when one physician turns over responsibility for the comprehensive care of a patient to another physician.
Types of Referrals
According to:
- Seriousness
- Timing
- Levels
- Received person
- Specialties
Causes of Referrals
- Doctors factors
- Patients factors
- Setting
- System or organizational factors
- Others
Write a Referral Letter
- Name of patient
- Medical No.
- Date
- Diagnosis
- Age
- Gender
- History (concise including important +ve and –ve symptoms and signs and past relevant)
- Investigations (laboratory, radiology, …etc)
- Medication/s
- Previous relevant course of treatment (response / failure)
- The reason for referral
- Urgency level
- Name of referring physician
- Contact details for discussion or referral back
- Signature
Causes of Inappropriate Referrals
- Doctors factors
- Patients factors
- Setting
- System or organizational factors
- Others