Uses clinical protocols to determine when a referral to a specialist is necessary
Characteristics
COORDINATED
Component
Appropriate dental referrals
Measure Concept
Use of clinical protocols for referral determination
Descriptions
The practice uses clinical protocols or decision support tools to determine if a patient needs to be seen by a specialist or if care can be addressed or managed by the primary care clinician. Unnecessary referrals can lead to overuse of tests and services, increase patient dissatisfaction and reduce accessibility to specialists when needed.
Measure or Standard
Standard
Populations
Not specified or not applicable
Level of Measure
Practice/Health Center
Data Source
Evidence of implementation
Measure Identification
NCQA 2017 PCMH standards
Developer/Steward
National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA)
Stage of Development/Use
Accreditation