Medicare Compliance & Reimbursement

Docs can protect practices with standard consult sheet.

Some consultants do recommend that physicians make their own forms for consults, notes Laureen Jandroep, director and senior instructor with the CRN Institute.
 
Explanation: With a universal consultation form on hand, it's easiser for a physician's office to deal with connsults requests, experts say.

For example, when your office receives a phone call from Dr. X's office requesting a consultation, your office  can fax back a form for Dr. X to sign requesting the consult. This extra step isn't required, but it is recommended, since it  gives a physician practice extra protection. Some specialists believe that every referral from a primary care physician is a consult, but it varies by specialty, says Jandroep.

To wit:  A neurologist likely will receive more consult requests than an orthopedic physician, explains Jandroep. This is because a referring physician will usually already know a patient has a broken arm, so the referral source most likely will want help treating the patient rather than confirming a diagnosis.