Successful Communication for Physician Referrals

In the United States, more than a third of patients are referred to a specialist each year. Specialist visits also constitute more than half of outpatient visits. Given these statistics, you would think that the process would be smooth sailing. However, strange as it may seem, the specialty-referral process is a long-standing source of frustration for both primary care physicians (PCPs) and specialists.

As always in life, communication is key. The need for clear and effective communication with specialists and patients alike is essential. That is precisely what most practices are getting wrong or don’t have the time for. If you get it right, it can give you a great competitive edge and set your practice apart from the rest.

Communication matters! It matters when physicians refer patients to specialists. And it matters when patients speak to their PCP to detail their experience with a referred specialist.

If a patient has a negative experience, it reflects negatively on the specialist, but occasionally also on the PCP who referred the patient. If a patient has to wait six months for an appointment or sit for hours on end in the waiting room, the patient will not be happy. Also, many times the referrals do not include a transfer of information, either to or from the specialist, resulting in insufficient medical decision making.

Additionally, as the PCP you may refer a patient to a specialist, but often you may not know whether the patient actually went at all unless the patient volunteers this information. It may be months by the time you see the patient again, at which time you may or may not find out about their appointment with the specialist and what the specialist may have recommended. For the most part, the primary-specialty interface is very poorly integrated.

A PCP may need to step in if he or she hears about a negative patient experience. And to help grow your business, a primary care practice needs to understand which specialists to use frequently, seldomly, or not at all. When making referrals, patients are the number one priority for PCPs, so their needs should be met. To do that your staff should play a vital role in referral development to help produce favorable results.

Athena MMG can help you stand apart from your competitors by providing you with the means to clear and effective communication. We can help you keep tabs on referrals to determine patterns, interaction with patients, and connections and loyalties with healthcare systems. We will track the data for you in order to ensure that patient and physician expectations are met. It will also help you communicate expectations to specialists. In the highly competitive physician recruiting and referral market today, having an effective physician communication strategy has never been more vital. Contact us to learn more.