Send to Patient and Send to Provider are very similar processes. Sending to Patient and Sending to Provider are alternate pathways of sending a referral for either the patient or a provider can follow up to schedule an appointment. This referral is sent to the patient and provider's email address. This option allows a follow up from either the provider or patient when the patient is not ready to book an appointment at the point of care or the provider's availability is not readily available.
The first steps are the same as the standard process of scheduling a patient. See additional information on scheduling a patient here.
From a sending perspective, users will notice options for “Send to Patient” or “Send to Provider” in the provider’s calendar if the provider is opted in for send to patient or provider. When selected, either the patient or the receiving provider will be sent an email with referral details that they can use to finalize the referral.
After making a selection, the user will be taken to the “Referral Information” screen just like a standard referral with one exception: a field for the patient’s email address. Fill out the necessary information - Referral Orders, ICD-10 code, and any additional notes - and then confirm with the patient that their email is correct. This is especially crucial for Send to Patient as it ensures the referral information gets sent to the appropriate email address. Once the patient confirms their email address, click “Next.”
The final step is the confirmation. Review to make sure that all the information is correct, and then click “Confirm.”
All of the necessary information to complete the referral will be sent to the patient or the receiving provider and the status of the referral will be changed to “sent to patient/provider," as shown:
The provider's email on file will receive a notification to follow up with a referral that has been sent to them. Sending providers can check the status of the referral by clicking on the “Referrals” tab in the blue toolbar. The time field will be blank until the receiving provider books the referral.
When the referral has been finalized, the time and status will be updated:
Sending providers can check the status of the referral by clicking on the “Referrals” tab in the blue toolbar. The time and status fields will be blank until the receiving provider finalizes the referral, but a “Sent to Patient” box will be visible for the sending provider.
When the referral has been finalized, the time and status will be filled in, as shown:
From the Patient’s Perspective Immediately after the sending provider confirms the referral, the patient will receive an email with clear instructions and a link to schedule an appointment time.
The patient will then follow the link to referral screen to:
1. Scheduling details page
2. Select an appointment
3. Confirm their appointment.In the “Scheduling Details” screen, patients will confirm the information is correct and select “Schedule Appointment.”
Patients will then be taken to the “Choose an Appointment” screen, where they can book a specific time in the provider’s calendar.
Lastly, patients will review their selection and confirm the appointment.
After the patient follows these steps, the receiving provider will be notified and follow their standard protocol for finalizing referrals. Additionally using the same scheduling link from the original email notification, patients will be able to view their appointment details and, if enabled, the patient will be able to cancel and reschedule their appointment.