Referral

This data model communicates patient demographic and clinical information from a referring provider to send the patient's case to another provider.

This typically differs from a consultation, where a provider may review a patient without assuming authority over the patient’s care. Referrals can be internal to an organization (e.g., from one department to another) or external between organizations.

A referral is useful to maintain the administrative aspects of a referral order. You can receive notifications when:

A new referral order is placed.
An existing referral order is modified or canceled.
An authorization review is requested or responded to.

Or, you can search for referral orders based on a patient's demographic and insurance information.

EHR support for Referral

EHR systems with advanced referral management capabilities and robust interfacing libraries typically support the Referral data model via an HL7v2 REF interface or their own proprietary API.

Alternatively, some EHR systems may not support the Referral data model. However, since a referral can be a specific type of order when it pertains to a transfer of patient responsibility for specialty care, an EHR system may support creating a referral with the Order data model instead. Just note that you may not be able to update the referral details after it’s created. This customized type of workflow varies per EHR system. Work with your connection and your Technical Account Manager to determine which data model is best for your referral workflow.

Events in Referral

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