At Direct PT/DX, our team receives thousands of referrals from our clients (i.e., nurse case managers, employers, and adjusters) throughout the year. From the moment a referral hits our inbox to the moment our patient has their first appointment, our scheduling process aims to make the process hassle-free for everyone involved.
When we receive a referral, our team immediately jumps into action with three quick and critical steps to keep the process running smoothly, saving time, reducing back-and-forth and keeping care on track.
The first step, referral completeness and accuracy, is where the majority of the delays stem. Referrals can often have missing information or incorrect orders, like the injured body part not being listed or the physician’s signature not included. To keep things moving, we reach out directly to the physician to get the correct order in hand, vs. sending it back to the adjuster. It’s all about teamwork, communication, and keeping the process smooth, so injured workers can get the care they need without unnecessary delays. From there, we confirm that the referral is authorized and billable.
Then, it’s time for our final step, selecting a facility. When scheduling care, we have several criteria that a facility must meet to be selected. First, we consider where the patient lives and whether they’re working or at home due to an injury. This helps us select a facility that’s convenient, close to home or work, to make attending appointments as easy as possible. Then, we survey provider competence and experience, matching our patients with a facility that specializes in the care they need. If the patient lives in a remote area where there are no in-network providers, we check if there are any out-of-network providers available or search for qualified facilities, enter them into our system, and negotiate discounted rates. This proactive approach helps us expand access to care while also saving our clients money, ensuring patients in even the most rural locations get the quality care they deserve.
But, despite our best efforts, referrals don’t always go exactly as planned. For example, a new adjuster recently sent us a referral, but the patient was already scheduled at a facility we hadn’t worked with before, and the appointment was the very next day. Our team immediately jumped into action and quickly set up an agreement with the facility, ensuring the patient could keep the next-day appointment while also saving our client money. Even when a referral goes sideways, our team keeps it on track.Learn more about our scheduling process at DirectPTDX.com.
