PatientTeam

Specialty Care

Referrals between primary care and specialists like Cardiology or Oncology — managed, tracked, and coordinated without adding new systems.

Microsoft Teams
Referral Channel — Cardiology
New Referral: David W., 67Auto-prioritized

Referred by Dr. Rivera — Suspected atrial fibrillation, ECG abnormal

Urgent•Auto-triaged based on diagnosis codes
DR
Dr. Rivera10:14 AM

Patient has had two episodes of palpitations in the past week. ECG showed irregular rhythm. Would appreciate urgent eval.

CK
Dr. Chen (Cardiology)10:22 AM

Accepted. Scheduling for Thursday. Will need Holter monitor arranged beforehand.

SharePoint
Patient Timeline — David W.
Apr 7

PCP Visit — ECG abnormal

Dr. Rivera

Apr 7Auto-routed

Referral sent to Cardiology

Auto-routed

Apr 7

Referral accepted by Dr. Chen

Cardiology

Apr 9

Holter monitor ordered

Dr. Chen

Apr 10

Appointment confirmed — Thu 2:00 PM

Patient confirmed via SMS

Outlook
Automated Follow-Up — David W.
To: David W.Smart Reminder

Subject: Your Cardiology Appointment — Thursday at 2:00 PM

Hi David,

This is a reminder about your cardiology appointment with Dr. Chen on Thursday, April 10 at 2:00 PM.

Please bring your Holter monitor results and a list of current medications.

Reply YES to confirm or call (555) 234-5678 to reschedule.

Before

  • Referrals sent via fax or portal, then lost in inboxes
  • No visibility into whether the patient scheduled or showed up
  • Specialists and PCPs working in separate systems
  • Referral leakage of 30–50% is common

After

  • Referrals flow through a single tracked channel in Teams or Chat
  • Automated triage and prioritization based on clinical urgency
  • Both providers see the same patient timeline
  • Follow-up scheduling happens automatically, leakage drops to near zero

"The referral problem is not a technology problem. It's a workflow problem — and it's solvable with the tools you already have."

Key Takeaway