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Data Element Detail

Non-admitted patient care-specialist outpatient service-referral
Identifying and Definitional Attributes
QH 040927 v1
Data Element
Data Element Concept
Provisional
22-Sep-2005		Superseded
24-Jun-2011
Standard
01-Jul-2006
30-Jun-2010
A written request to a specialist outpatient service for either investigation and/or diagnosis, advice on or provision of treatment/management, and/or reassurance and second opinion for the patient.
Specialist outpatient services (hospital non-admitted patient care). This definition is not intended to apply to community based services.
Representational Attributes
Permissible Values

Permissible_values

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Supplementary Values

Supplemenary_values

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Collection and Usage Attributes
REFERRAL CONTENT
The referring practitioner must identify the patient's need for referral and communicate relevant information about the patient to the medical officer or designated authority.
All referrals to a specialist outpatient service (except for post inpatient review appointments) must be in writing (eg. letter, facsimile, electronic file) and contain the following:
- Patient demographic information and contact details;
- Referring practitioner contact details;
- Relevant information about the patient's condition and the need for specialist services;
- Signature of referring practitioner; and
- Referral issue date.
The following information is also required if available or known at the time of referral:
- Investigations and treatment undertaken;
- Past medical and surgical history;
- Current medications;
- Patient status; and
- Relevant psycho-social issues;

ACTIVE LIFE OF A REFERRAL *
A Referral for a specialist outpatient service will remain valid for a single course of treatment (an episode of care), or for a period of twelve months from the initial specialist outpatient consultation, whichever is the lesser.

On the occasion of referral for a chronic or long-term condition that will extend beyond twelve months, a written indication from the referring practitioner (within the referral) is requisite detailing that the patient has a clinical condition that will require continuing care and management by a specialist consultant physician. Examples of such conditions could include but are not limited to the specialties of Renal and Oncology. In these instances wording on the referral must indicate that the referral is either valid for an indefinite period or a period greater than 12 months.

The presentation of an unrelated illness or condition will initiate a new course of treatment, in which case a new referral is required.

The specialist outpatient service to where the patient is referred must have received the letter of referral prior to the date of the initial occasion of service to which the referral relates.

* It should be noted that the 12-month period specified as the 'active life of a referral' for a specialist outpatient service is based on a standard General Practice referral to a specialist or a consultant physician. These conditions do not apply in the main to referrals required for the purpose of billing the Health Insurance Commission for private 'medicare funded' patients. Eg: Where a specifically named referral originates from a specialist or a consultant physician, the referral is valid for 3 months.
Relational Attributes
Related Metadata References

Related Metadata References_IR

  • 1 - 13
ViewRelationshipMetadata Item TypeMetadata Item SubtypeNameIdentifier & VersionApproval Status
Has been superseded byData ElementData Element ConceptOutpatient clinic written referralQH 040927 Version 2Retired
Relates toData ElementData ElementNon-admitted patient care (outpatient)-source of referralQH 040938 Version 1Superseded
Relates toData ElementData ElementNon-admitted patient care-appointment schedule dateQH 040930 Version 1Superseded
Relates toData ElementData ElementNon-admitted patient care-attendance typeQH 040934 Version 1Retired
Relates toData ElementData ElementNon-admitted patient care-clinical urgency categoryQH 040936 Version 1Superseded
Relates toData ElementData ElementNon-admitted patient care-failed to attend appointment indicatorQH 040940 Version 1Retired
Relates toData ElementData ElementNon-admitted patient care-initial attendance indicatorQH 040941 Version 1Retired
Relates toData ElementData ElementNon-admitted patient care-referral issue dateQH 040928 Version 1Superseded
Relates toData ElementData ElementNon-admitted patient care-referral receipt dateQH 040929 Version 1Superseded
Relates toData ElementData Element ConceptNon-admitted patient care-single course of treatmentQH 040942 Version 1Retired
Relates toData ElementData Element ConceptNot ready for careQH 040377 Version 2Superseded
Relates toData ElementData Element ConceptOccasion of serviceQH 040607 Version 1Retired
Relates toData ElementDerived Data ElementNon-admitted patient care-service delivery waiting periodQH 040937 Version 1Superseded
Implementation in Metadata Sets

Implemented

No Metadata Items
Source and Reference Attributes
Policy Framework for the Management of Specialist Outpatient Services in Queensland Public Hospitals (January 2005).
Non-admitted patient; Outpatient clinic; Referral;