Closing the Referral Loop: Receipt of Specialist Report

Problems in the outpatient referral and consultation process have been documented, including lack of timeliness of information and inadequate provision of information between the specialist and the requesting physician (Gandhi et al., 2000; Forrest et al., 2000; Stille et al., 2005). In a study of physician satisfaction with the outpatient referral process, Gandhi et al. (2000) found that 68% of specialists reported receiving no information from the primary care provider prior to referral visits, and 25% of primary care providers had still not received any information from specialists 4 weeks after referral visits. In another study of 963 referrals (Forrest et al., 2000), pediatricians scheduled appointments with specialists for only 39% and sent patient information to the specialists for only 51% of referrals.

In a 2006 report to Congress, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) found that care coordination programs improved quality of care for patients, reduced hospitalizations, and improved adherence to evidence-based care guidelines, especially among patients with diabetes and coronary heart disease. Associations with cost-savings were less clear; this was attributed to how well the intervention group was chosen and defined, as well as the intervention put in place. Additionally, cost-savings were usually calculated in the short-term, while some argue that the greatest cost-savings accrue over time (MedPAC, 2006).

Improved mechanisms for information exchange could facilitate communication between providers, whether for time-limited referrals or consultations, on-going co-management, or during care transitions. For example, a study by Branger, van’t Hooft, van der Wouden, Moorman & van Bemmel (1999) found that an electronic communication network that linked the computer-based patient records of physicians who had shared care of patients with diabetes significantly increased frequency of communications between physicians and availability of important clinical data. There was a 3-fold increase in the likelihood that the specialist provided written communication of results if the primary care physician scheduled appointments and sent patient information to the specialist (Forrest et al., 2000).

Care coordination is a focal point in the current health care reform and our nation's ambulatory health information technology framework. The National Priorities Partnership (2008) recently highlighted care coordination as one of the most critical areas for development of quality measurement and improvement.

Problems in the outpatient referral and consultation process have been documented, including inadequate care pathways between specialty and primary care. Studies suggest that both specialists and primary care providers (PCPs) are not satisfied with current processes (Institute for Healthcare Improvement / National Patient Safety Foundation, 2017; Greenwood-Lee et. al, 2018). Breakdowns in referral communication leads to worse health outcomes, increased cost, and appointment delays (Patel et. al, 2018; Odisho et. al, 2020). A 2018 analysis of primary care referrals to specialists found that of the 103,737 referral scheduling attempts analyzed, only 36,072 (34.8%) resulted in documented complete appointments, defined by the specialty clinician providing report to the PCP after the referral visit (Patel et. al, 2018).

Technological and process-based updates can improve the referral loop process and increase rates of closing the referral loop. Ramelson et. al (2018) enhanced an EHR's Referral Manager module to meet the Controlled Risk Insurance Company’s best practice steps and the requirements of both the CMS EHR Incentive Program and the National Committee for Quality Assurance Patient-Centered Medical Home program. Following the updates, 76.8% of referrals were completed and all defined referral process steps were easier to accomplish. Odisho et. al (2020) developed a referrals automation software to simplify the fax to referral process. Feedback from key stakeholder interviews noted that the software enhanced the referrals process by further streamlining and organizing the patient referral process. The Institute for Healthcare Improvement and the National Patient Safety Foundation (2017) reviewed the referrals process in the ambulatory care setting and found that organizational leaders, EHR vendors, regulatory agencies, clinicians, and patients all play a role in creating a referrals system that is effective, safe, convenient, and patient-centered.