Referral Management
REFERRAL_MANAGEMENT.md
Referral Management
The Referrals module manages patient referrals — both outgoing referrals to specialists or other facilities, and incoming referrals from other providers.
Accessing Referrals
Go to Referrals in the sidebar. The list shows all referrals with search and filter controls.
Filtering
| Filter | Description |
|---|---|
| Search | Search by patient name or referral code |
| Status | Filter by referral status |
| Date range | Filter by referral date |
Referral Statuses
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Pending | Referral created; patient not yet seen by the referred provider |
| Accepted | Referred provider has accepted the referral |
| Completed | Patient has been seen by the referred provider |
| Cancelled | Referral was voided |
Creating a Referral
From a Visit (Recommended)
- Open the patient's Visit record.
- Click New Referral within the visit.
- The referral is automatically linked to the visit.
Standalone
- Go to Referrals → New Referral.
- Search for and select the Patient.
Referral Form Fields
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Patient | Required — the patient being referred |
| Referring Doctor | The provider making the referral (defaults to logged-in doctor) |
| Referred To | Name of the specialist, doctor, or facility receiving the referral |
| Specialty / Department | The specialty or department being referred to (e.g., Cardiology, Neurology) |
| Referral Reason | Clinical reason for the referral |
| Associated Visit | Link to the visit that prompted the referral |
| Urgency | Routine, Urgent, or Emergency |
| Notes | Additional clinical information for the receiving provider |
| Referral Date | Defaults to today |
Click Save to create the referral. A referral code is generated automatically.
Viewing Referral Details
Click any referral in the list to open the detail page. From here you can:
- View all referral information
- Update the status
- Add notes or follow-up information
- Print the referral letter
Printing a Referral Letter
- Open the referral record.
- Click Print Referral.
- A formatted referral letter is generated with clinic letterhead, patient details, clinical reason, and doctor signature line.
Updating Referral Status
To track the outcome of a referral:
- Open the referral.
- Click the Status dropdown.
- Select the appropriate status (Accepted, Completed, Cancelled).
- Click Save.
Viewing Referral History
From the Patient Profile, click the Referrals tab to see all referrals for that patient.
Tips
- Always link referrals to a visit so the complete clinical picture is traceable.
- Use the Notes field to include relevant clinical history, current medications, and reason for the referral — this information will appear on the printed referral letter.
- Set Urgency to Emergency for time-sensitive referrals to alert staff to expedite processing.