Vetting a referral partner
Ask for these in writing before the first patient goes across.
- Named licensed clinicians and their scope
- Written referral criteria, including what they decline
- Documentation returned to the referring chart, and the turnaround
- How urgent findings are escalated back to you
- How self-pay costs are disclosed to patients before they commit
Compliance boundaries
Referral relationships must not involve payment or value exchange for referrals. A clean pathway is built on clinical fit and documentation quality only, and anything resembling compensation for volume should end the conversation.
What to tell patients
That the referral is for evaluation, that much of this care is self-pay, that the referring practice does not benefit from the referral, and that they can decline at any point without affecting their care with you.
Questions people ask about this
- How quickly does documentation come back?
- Ask any prospective partner to commit to a turnaround in writing, and to state how urgent findings are escalated outside that window.
- Is there any payment involved in a referral relationship?
- No. Payment or value exchange for referrals is not permitted and is not part of any legitimate pathway.
- Can our clinicians be listed on your site?
- Yes, through the clinician profile submission. Listings are informational, reviewed for accuracy, and are not endorsements.
Next step for clinicians
Referral guide and clinician profiles
The referral and co-management guide sets out criteria, documentation, and escalation in full. Clinicians who work with us can also publish a profile page in the directory.