My insurance plan requires that I have a referral from my primary care doctor before I can see a specialist. The referral is usually good for a specified amount of time (1 year max) and for a certain number of visits. It would be nice to document this information in QMEM. I realize that I can put this information in the comments section of the provider entry, but it would be nice to have fields to enter this information (multiple entries needed) and the ability to display when referrals are about to expire so that I can request a renewal.
Required information would be - Referral Date, Referral Expiration Date, Number of visits authorized, and which patient the referral is for. A referral number would also be nice, but I don't always have this information.
I hadn't thought about tracking this information, but I think it is a good idea! I had a problem earlier this year with a provider that kept telling me I needed a new referral (at the check in desk), yet when I talked directly with the person responsible for coordinating the referrals and was told I actually had 3 more visits available. If I had tracked that information myself, I would have known up front!
