HCLP referrals and letter writing Flashcards
(16 cards)
when should you refer?
when you dont know what to do
when theres something thats very worrying
when you mess something up
when patient wants another opinion
when guidelines tell you to
how can you refer?
electronically by standard form
letter
phone
secure email
combination
dialing 999
who can you refer to?
dental hospital
district general hospital
another GDP
private dental specialist
GMP
medical specialist
what are key features of a referral letter?
contact details of pt
state if you are looking for advice only or tx
state priority
compact summary of major issues and history
relevant social/ MH
any other concerns
relevant enclosures i.e., photos/ radiographs
copy the letter to another professional i.e., GMP (with pts consent)
when may you want to write to patients?
good part of consent process
useful for complex options
when they wont take your advice
giving good oral health advice
what is the standard type of referral in dundee?
letter
what is an issue with phone call referrals?
no evidence that referral was made
- follow it up with an email/ referral form
what is an issue with an email referral?
if just emailed to one person, if they are on holiday, they will not receive it
what are types of urgent referrals?
- suspected cancer
- potentially airway threatening swelling
- life threatening sepsis
- medical emergency in surgery
- major child/ adult protection issue
- suicide risk
how may you want to word that a referral is urgent?
“please see this pt urgently”
“i am suspicious this may be cancer”
“this may be neoplastic”
“i cannot disclude cancer in the diagnosis”
why may you refer to another GDP?
they may have extra training e.g., in endodontics
why may you refer to a medical specialist?
Cardiologist - if pt needs abx cover
who do you refer suspected H+N cancer to in Tayside?
Oral Maxillofacial department at Ninewells
what must you check to ensure that you are referring your patient to the correct place?
the Local Referral Pathways
what is the average reading age in Tayside?
9 years old
where can you find good advice for writing letters to patients?
Academy of Medical Royal Colleges
“Please write to me”
(for doctors, but still applicable to dentists)
