Making Referrals and Deciding to Close the Injury

To ensure proper case management, continue tracking the patient's progress even if s/he is referred to another physician.

Note: Do not close a case just because it is referred out.

Follow up on the status of the patient so the company knows medical care is continuing.

To initiate the referral, perform the following steps. On the Treatment screen enter the ID of the person making the referral in the Referred by field. Enter the ID of the person to whom the patient is referred in the Staff ID field.

For example, Dr. Scott at your clinic decides to refer a case to a specialist, Dr. Danvers. Add a new record in the Treatment table, entering A in the C/A/N/T field. In the Staff ID field enter the ID for Dr. Danvers, the new physician. In the Referred by field enter the ID for Dr. Scott, the referring physician. In the Treatment/Appt Date field enter the actual date of the appointment (which you obtain by calling Dr. Danvers' office).

Enter REF in the Treatment Code field. The case will remain open. Print the Referral report (a letter) to send to Dr. Danvers. The appointment to the outside provider shows up on the Injury Tracking report the day after it should have occurred. You then can telephone Dr. Danvers' office to learn the status of the case and the date of the next appointment, if any.

It's appropriate to close an injury case when the patient has recovered or, if full recovery is unlikely, is medically stable and no longer in need of treatment. See Close an Injury Case.