Typically, patients go to a primary care physician (PCP) first when they have a medical problem. PCPs are skilled in providing healthcare services, but they are not specialists. Hence, they need to refer patients to specialists in certain situations.
Here is what to know about referrals in the medical industry:
When should a doctor refer you to a specialist?
Some doctors obtain additional training in a specific field of medicine. Accordingly, they have the knowledge and resources to diagnose, treat, manage and prevent conditions in their area of focus.
While your PCP can offer you a wide range of services, in some cases, they may need the help of a specialist with diagnosis or treatment.
For instance, if your blood work reveals abnormalities that your PCP can’t diagnose alone, they can refer you to a hematologist. If you have symptoms that suggest a heart problem, such as shortness of breath or chest pain, your doctor can refer you to a cardiologist. If your blood test/imaging scans or physical examination indicates a potential tumor, they can refer you to an oncologist, and so on.
What is failure to refer?
This occurs when a PCP fails to refer a patient to a specialist when they know the services of the latter are needed, resulting in the patient sustaining injuries.
It can be considered negligence if a PCP fails to refer a patient at all or on time. It may also be negligent if a doctor refers a patient to a specialist who mishandles their case, causing injuries (negligent referral).
If you have sustained injuries due to failure to refer or negligent referral, obtain as much information as possible to understand what to do.
