Health Ministry issues interdepartmental referral guidelines for hospitals
Citing significant inconsistencies and lack of accountability in the referral process, the Union Health Ministry has for the first time issued interdepartmental referral guidelines for hospitals to facilitate better communication and cooperation.
The ‘Guidelines for InterDepartmental Referral’ (within hospitals) stress that referrals should be initiated promptly as and when patients require specialised care, diagnostic evaluations, or consultations beyond the scope of admitting department.
The referral for a consultant’s opinion should only be written by consultants and that post graduate residents should not close referrals on their own without discussing with their consultants, the guidelines released on June 7 stated.
Consultant on call should review the referral record attended to by his team the previous day, a step which will help improve patient care and enhance learning of residents.
The referral process is a crucial component of high-quality patient care in any medical institution, Director General of Health Services, Union Health Ministry, Dr Atul Goel said in the document.
Problems such as poor coordination and communication, unclear procedures, non-standardised formats, and inadequate training for healthcare professionals are common and they ultimately can potentially harm a patient, Dr Goel said.
The roles of various professional levels are often undefined,
resulting in gaps in patient care, he stated highlighting many patients who visit hospitals have multiple comorbidities and need a multidisciplinary approach.
The document said a robust and efficient referral mechanism should be an essential part of training of residents as well.
After residency as they enter a healthcare setup to practice, this training will be very useful for them.
However, problems can arise in any inter-departmental referral process, including --delays in processing/attending of referrals, breakdown in communica
tion, and variations in referral practices across departments, it said.
To address these challenges, hospitals must implement standardised referral protocols, streamline referral work flows, and provide education and training to healthcare providers and staff involved in the referral process.
“Currently, with no clear guidelines in place, it has been observed that there exist heterogeneous referral mechanisms. Every department and individual have their own way of sending and attending referrals. The documentation is also variable and inconsistent, ” the document stated.