Add or change a referral

Add referral details for a patient attending a specialist. This adds the referral information required for billing and for Medicare to approve refunds to the patient.

Adding referral information

The section explains how to add the referral details required for billing.

To add referral information:

1. Go to the Reception tab.
2. Select Patients.
   This will open the Patient Search screen.
3. Locate the patient and open their record.
   To learn more, see the find a patient's record article.
4. In the Referrals section, select Add.
   The New Referral Details screen will open.
   By default, the last doctor to provide the patient with a referral will be added.
   If the referring doctor is different, go to the Changing a referral doctor section below.
5. In the Letter Date field, enter the date the GP wrote the letter.
6. In the Start Date field, enter the date of the appointment with the specialist.
7. Check the Period. It should be 12 by default. This is the number of months within which Medicare will accept a referral for a claim. This 12-month period begins from the Start Date. 
8. Check and update the Specialist field as required.
   If the referral is to be shared between specialists within the practice or with a locum standing in, you can select Doctor, Unknown instead. This permits all doctors to show the referral on their invoices when billing.
9. Check the other fields are correct.
   Adding Notes or an internal Referrer's Ref# is optional.
10. Select Close to save the changes and exit.
    

Changing the referral doctor

This section explains how to change the referring doctor in the New Referral Details screen. You can follow all the steps in the Adding referral information section above and then complete these steps at the end before you select Close to save and exit.

1. Select Select Dr. on the New Referral Details screen.
   The Find Referral Doctor screen will open.
   
   
2. Enter the selection criteria for the doctor, such as their surname.
3. Select Find.
   The Referral Doctor Selector will open.
   
4. Select the doctor from the list.
   The list contains all doctors in the practice database.
5. Select Referral.
   This will take you back to the New Referral Details screen with the new doctor added. You can then complete the fields as documented above,and select Close to save and exit.
   If the referring doctor is not in the list.
   
6. Select Add New.
   This will open the New Referral Doctor Details screen.
7. Fill in the screen and select Close to save and exit.
   This will take you back to the New Referral Details screen with the new doctor added. You can then complete the referral as documented above and select Close to save and exit.