Referral follow-up tracking

Purpose

1.1. Automate post-referral follow-up communication with patients and referring providers to confirm appointment attendance, deliver care instructions, collect feedback, and maintain continuity, compliance, and strong referral relationships.
1.2. Ensure patients receive timely reminders, aftercare resources, and satisfaction surveys, while providers receive status updates and outcomes, supporting compliance and quality measures.
1.3. Collect and log follow-up responses for reporting, analytics, and quality improvement without manual effort.

Trigger Conditions

2.1. New patient referred by external provider entered into EMR/EHR.
2.2. Patient appointment booking confirmation or missed appointment status.
2.3. Completion of patient visit marked in the scheduling system.
2.4. Patient is overdue for follow-up (time since referral or last contact exceeds threshold).

Platform Variants

3.1. Twilio
- Feature/Setting: Programmable Messaging API; configure SMS template linked to referral events in the EHR.
3.2. SendGrid
- Feature/Setting: Transactional Email API; set up dynamic email triggers on referral confirmation and visit completion.
3.3. Mailgun
- Feature/Setting: Batch Message API; schedule follow-up campaigns based on patient referral tags.
3.4. Microsoft Outlook (Office 365)
- Feature/Setting: Calendar API and Automated Reminders; set “follow-up” calendar events per referral, notify staff and providers.
3.5. Google Workspace
- Feature/Setting: Apps Script integration with Google Sheets; trigger Gmail follow-ups from populated referral spreadsheets.
3.6. Slack
- Feature/Setting: Incoming Webhooks; alert clinic team in a dedicated channel when follow-up reminders are sent or overdue.
3.7. Salesforce Health Cloud
- Feature/Setting: Process Builder and Flows; automate referral intake and follow-up tasks across patient records.
3.8. HubSpot
- Feature/Setting: Workflows; trigger patient/provider nurturing emails after referral status updates.
3.9. Zendesk
- Feature/Setting: Ticket API; create or update tickets for follow-up calls and unresolved referral cases.
3.10. ActiveCampaign
- Feature/Setting: Automations; segment and nurture referred patients with targeted follow-up sequence.
3.11. Zoho CRM
- Feature/Setting: Workflow Rules; auto-email or SMS follow-ups triggered by specific field changes in referral records.
3.12. DocuSign
- Feature/Setting: Agreement Cloud API; send follow-up care agreements or consents after referral acceptance.
3.13. Intercom
- Feature/Setting: Custom Bots; message follow-up instructions once referral is onboarded in the clinic portal.
3.14. RingCentral
- Feature/Setting: Call Logs API; initiate and track automated call reminders for follow-up appointments.
3.15. WhatsApp Business API
- Feature/Setting: Template Messages; send secure follow-up reminders and collect feedback via WhatsApp.
3.16. Smartsheet
- Feature/Setting: Automated Alerts & Approval Requests; route follow-up tasks to staff from updated referral rows.
3.17. Epic Systems
- Feature/Setting: App Orchard Integration; trigger in-basket messages and SmartTexts at referral milestones.
3.18. Athenahealth
- Feature/Setting: Marketplace API Connections; push automated patient/provider follow-ups via notes or messaging.
3.19. Meditech Expanse
- Feature/Setting: Notification API; configure and trigger automated communication with referred patients.
3.20. JotForm
- Feature/Setting: Submission Triggers; automatically send customized follow-up emails after referral feedback forms are completed.

Benefits

4.1. Reduces manual effort in follow-up, freeing up staff resources.
4.2. Increases referral conversion rates by ensuring timely communication.
4.3. Improves compliance tracking and documentation for QI audits.
4.4. Enhances patient experience, increasing satisfaction and trust.
4.5. Maintains strong provider-referrer relationships through proactive updates.
4.6. Enables real-time analytics and continuous workflow optimization.