Referral letter
A referral letter asks another clinician a specific question about a patient and gives them the history and results they need to answer it.
Why it matters in a workup
Put the question in the first lines. The receiving doctor triages from it and focuses the first appointment on it.
Quote results with values, units and dates, and say what you have already done.
Put it into practice
- State the question first
- Quote results with dates
- Give the urgency and the safety-netting advice
Frequently asked questions
Should a referral letter include my differential?
Yes, briefly. It helps the receiver triage and see what you are worried about.
General guidance on clinical documentation, not advice about any individual patient and not legal advice.
Glossary
Look up related terms
- Safety-nettingSafety-netting is the advice you give a patient about which symptoms should bring them back, how urgently and to whom, recorded in the notes.
- Differential diagnosisA differential diagnosis is a ranked list of the conditions that could explain a patient's problem, with the reasoning for each position.