Although the workflow can vary greatly depending on the needs of your practice and the specific scenario, the following describes a typical workflow:
The referral coordinator (or other support staff) initiates a referral based on a patient or provider request (Next Step = Pending Authorization)
The PCP views the referral and authorizes it (Next Step = Staff to Complete)
The referral coordinator (or other support staff) reviews the referral from his or her queue, completing information needed by the specialist (Next Step = Awaiting Scheduling or according to subsequent automatic processing)
Note: LMR automatic processing tracks this referral from Awaiting Scheduling, Awaiting Pt Visit, Awaiting Note, and Awaiting Ack by MD. If any of these events do not occur within target timelines, the LMR highlights the Next Step in yellow to indicated that it is overdue.
The PCP reviews and acknowledges the patient note (Next Step = Awaiting communication to Pt)
The PCP communicates the results of the consult to the patient (Next Step = Awaiting Closure)
The referral coordinator (or other support staff) closes the referral
It is possible for the PCP to directly complete all steps or to instruct staff to complete all steps on his or her behalf. Additionally, multiple steps can be completed at one time (such as the acknowledgement of note, communication to patient, and closing of referral).