Sometimes, healthcare providers may have limited capacity to cater for needs of patients. The patients’ health status may also be complicated and hence require advanced care not provided in the current healthcare center or hospital. In such scenarios, it is crucial to know when to refer the patient. After referral, follow-up is, and failure to address it can be a legal and malpractice issue. This paper discusses the “scope of referral” as defined in Delaware, the reasons for referral as well as referral timeliness.
During one of my clinical rotation last week a ten-year child was brought to the Health Center after involvement in a motor accident. Upon general examination, it was discovered that the child had suffered brain damage and had to be referred to another health care provider. In the state of Delaware, a referral is done online via a system is called Delaware Treatment and Referral Network if it is established that the patient needs advanced healthcare. In any health center, it is the responsibility of the nurse practitioner to make follow up. For a referral to be successful, it requires collaboration with other health care professionals as well as current knowledge of the problem being addressed.
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A referral is done when there is a struggle in making a diagnosis, when the patients want specialist’s opinion and when the concerned physician understands that the patient would click better in the hands of a fellow physician. Urgent referral requests should be made via telephone calls through which the practitioner is supposed to respond promptly. In cases when referring practitioner gives inadequate information, the consultant should get back to the referring practitioner so that he/she can decide whether to accept or reject the request.
