Ethicists’ commentary on sending referrals
Ethical question of the month, May 2024
Another general practitioner in your area has recently begun to accept referrals for specialized orthopedic procedures. One of your clients has a dog that you diagnosed with a cruciate tear, and you referred them to a Board-certified surgeon. You later find out that the client has self-referred to a general practitioner and has requested you send that practitioner the dog’s medical records. After you send the records, the receiving veterinarian requests that you send an additional referral from your practice. What is the implication of sending this referral? Does it imply a recommendation and a trusting relationship between your veterinary clinic and the receiving veterinarian, or is it simply related to the transfer of patient files?
Clare Palmer, Peter Sandøe, & Dan Weary comment on this dilemma and you can read it here: Ethicists’ commentary on sending referrals (pdf)