In plain English
This means one organization sends a patient to get care from somewhere outside its own organization. The key point is that the receiving provider, service, or facility belongs to a different organization. It describes where the referral goes in organizational terms.
In context
Here, it classifies a referral as one that sends the patient to a provider, service, or facility in a different organization.
- Situation
- Booking appointments, checking in, joining waitlists, and handling referrals
- What it communicates
- classifies a referral involving a different organization
Meaning limits
The term itself does not indicate the reason for the referral or any details beyond the fact that it crosses organizational boundaries.
Examples
“Her family doctor made an external referral to a cardiology clinic run by another organization.”
“Because the patient was sent to an unaffiliated rehabilitation centre, the referral counted as an external referral.”