Austin Health General Medicine Clinic holds five sessions per week to discuss and plan the treatment of patients with multiple medical problems Department of Health clinical urgency categories for Specialist Clinics Urgent: More urgent referrals would either be referred to the ED or else to the General Medicine ‘Hot Clinics’ Routine: Complex patients with multiple medical conditions Almost any referral that would not fit the criteria for a specialist clinic Exclusions: Psychiatry in the absence of medical issues for management Consider if speciality referral more appropriate with single organ/system involvement Condition / Symptom GP Management Investigations Required Expected Triage Expected Specialist Expected Prior to Referral Outcome Intervention number of Outcome Specialist Appointments While dependant on the reason Complex patients with for referral all patients should Referrals will be triaged Complex patient Varied multiple medical problems have recent basic pathology by the Palliative Care management with dependant on for investigation, including full blood count, Consultancy Service multiple system reason for consultation and electrolytes and liver function Registrar after which involvement. Some referral management tests. patients will be notified patients may be referred of appointment. back to GPs with care Coordination of patients with For those referrals with cardiac plan or once condition general medical problems or heart failure for consultation Where referral is has been stabilised. and one or more specialty a recent trans-thoracic echo triaged as ‘urgent’, consultation should be performed. patient will be contacted to arrange an For those referrals with appointment within 30 diabetes for consultation, days (DHHS Specialist recent HbA1c and fasting Clinics Access Policy) glucose levels should be performed Where referral is triaged as ‘routine’, Please indicate if interpreter current wait list service is required to facilitate indicates an <1 month bookings wait.
Austin Health General Medicine Clinic holds five sessions per week to discuss and plan the treatment of patients with multiple medical problems Department of Health clinical urgency categories for Specialist Clinics Urgent: More urgent referrals would either be referred to the ED or else to the General Medicine ‘Hot Clinics’ Routine: Complex patients with multiple medical conditions Almost any referral that would not fit the criteria for a specialist clinic Exclusions: Psychiatry in the absence of medical issues for management Consider if speciality referral more appropriate with single organ/system involvement Condition / Symptom GP Management Investigations Required Prior to Referral Expected Triage Outcome Expected Specialist Intervention Outcome Expected number of Specialist Appointments Complex patients with multiple medical problems for investigation, consultation and management Coordination of patients with general medical problems and one or more specialty consultation While dependant on the reason for referral all patients should have recent basic pathology including full blood count, electrolytes and liver function tests. For those referrals with cardiac or heart failure for consultation a recent trans-thoracic echo should be performed. For those referrals with diabetes for consultation, recent HbA1c and fasting glucose levels should be performed Please indicate if interpreter service is required to facilitate bookings Referrals will be triaged by the Palliative Care Consultancy Service Registrar after which patients will be notified of appointment. Where referral is triaged as ‘urgent’, patient will be contacted to arrange an appointment within 30 days (DHHS Specialist Clinics Access Policy) Where referral is triaged as ‘routine’, current wait list indicates an <1 month wait. Complex patient management with multiple system involvement. Some patients may be referred back to GPs with care plan or once condition has been stabilised. Varied dependant on reason for referral
Gen%20Med%20(Clinics%201-5)%20%20Referral%20Guideline%20October%202017.docx