A primary physician is required to refer a patient to a specialist when the patient’s condition is beyond the physician’s scope of expertise or a diagnosis is unclear. A referral should also happen when a patient requests a second opinion.
However, some physicians usually make mistakes when it comes to referrals. Below are three types of referral mistakes:
1. Referral to the wrong specialist
A physician should obtain more information about a patient’s condition to determine the appropriate specialist to take over treatment. For example, a patient with concerning cardiac symptoms should be referred to a cardiologist. Referring such a patient to a general surgeon delays cardiac evaluation, which can worsen the condition.
An inappropriate referral can also happen when a doctor refers a patient to an unqualified or unlicensed provider, a specialist who is too busy to provide timely care or one with a record of disciplinary action.
2. Poor communication
After referring a patient to a specialist, a physician should communicate with the specialist about medical findings, test results and patient history. Failure to communicate vital information can lead to a gap in care.
The specialist may postpone treatment while waiting to receive crucial details, a patient may be treated based on wrong information, a medication a patient is allergic to may be administered and so forth. Poor communication can lead to delayed diagnosis, delayed treatment and harmful treatment.
3. Failure to refer
A physician may fail to refer a patient to a specialist altogether. Various factors can lead to this decision. These include failure to listen to a patient, overconfidence, lack of knowledge, poor time management and financial motivations. Failure to refer can result in worsening of a condition, disability and death.
Negligent referral can cause considerable harm to a patient. If you or a loved one sustained harm in any of the discussed circumstances, you should understand how you can hold the doctor responsible and protect your rights.