Guidelines
Consultations/Referrals
The key element in the consultation process is communication. In this context, a physician, upon making a request for a consultation, should provide all reasonable information relevant to the matter. This should address both the urgency of the matter, as well as sufficient background information for the consultant to both assess the matter and later properly assess the patient. This generally would include copies of any reports or other documents relating to the specific situation. A request for consultation can be forwarded by any means. If there is a specific urgency, the documentation should be accompanied by a direct contact, at least with the consultant’s office, to ensure that the material will be received and read in a timely manner.
Upon receipt of the consultation request, the consultant should make every reasonable effort to acknowledge such with the referring physician. Ideally, this will include specific information regarding an eventual appointment, or at least some guidance as to when such will occur. The consultant should also take the opportunity to recommend additional investigations which could be completed by the referring physician prior to the appointment. If a timely appointment is unlikely, the consultant is encouraged to suggest alternative resources which may be more accessible.
After first assessing the patient, the consultant may feel the need for further investigations. Under most circumstances, they should be arranged directly by the consultant, as it is the consultant who will be relying on this information to make recommendations in the patient’s care. There are, however, circumstances where, in discussion with the patient, it may prove easier, from a distance or logistical point of view, for the investigations to be done closer to the patient’s residence. If these arrangements can be expedited by the family physician, such approach is acceptable. In any case, all efforts should be made to avoid any ambiguity as to how arrangements are being made and who will be responsible for the results and interpretation.
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