Factors Associated With Difficult Emergency Department Referral: A Cross-Sectional Study

The most obvious reasons are consulting physicians ordering additional labs or images, or asking to refer the patient to another specialty before seeing them. In addition, consulting physician endorsement time was an issue. Furthermore, referral difficulties occur more frequently during night shifts and weekends. To mitigate these difficulties, all training programs should include communication and training skills. Policies of consultation or referral should be enforced. Additionally, the emergency physician should be able to schedule outpatient appointments with the required specialty. Moreover, the receiving consultant should be a senior physician. Referral difficulties should be minimized to improve patient care, outcomes, and satisfaction.