Referring physicians quietly stop sending patients | Healthcare & Life Sciences

What it costs you today

A referring physician practice has sent you patients for four years. Gradually, then suddenly, the referrals slow to nothing. When you call, the conversation is warm but vague. You do not know if a competitor opened closer, if a patient outcome was an issue, or if your coordinator was difficult to work with.

How RadRoot is used here

RadRoot sends referring physicians a quarterly five-question check-in framed as a care quality feedback loop. Questions probe how their referred patients are being received, what feedback they are hearing back, and what would improve the working relationship.

The file you would upload

A Epic EHR - Referral Source Report export. One row is one referring physician practice. RadRoot reads the whole row, so every question can name something the person already knows is true.

Referral_Source_ID	Practice_Name	Physician_Name	Specialty	Physician_Email	First_Referral_Date	Last_Referral_Date
RS-10847	Meadowbrook Family Medicine	Dr. Lisa Chen	Family Medicine	l.chen@meadowbrook-fm.example.com	2021-03-15	2026-04-18
RS-10922	Ridgemont Internal Medicine Group	Dr. Marcus Webb	Internal Medicine	marcus.webb@ridgemont-img.example.com	2021-07-22	2026-01-09
RS-11204	Lakeside Primary Care Associates	Dr. Jennifer Nguyen	Family Medicine	jnguyen@lakesidepca.example.org	2022-01-10	2026-04-21
RS-11356	Southgate Occupational Health	Dr. Ramon Castillo	Occupational Medicine	r.castillo@southgateocc.example.net	2022-05-03	2026-04-15
RS-11489	Northpoint Geriatrics	Dr. Patricia Hoffman	Geriatrics	phoffman@northpoint-geriatrics.example.com	2022-08-17	2026-03-28

First 5 of 20 rows, first 7 of 13 columns. RadRoot interviewed the physician on each row, and 6 of 20 answered.

One interview, exactly as it ran

Six options every time, including the ones that reflect badly on whoever sent it. Each question was written after the answer above it landed.

Q1Dr. Webb, you referred 11 patients to us last quarter but only 2 this quarter. What changed in how you think about sending spine surgery cases to Highland?

·Your outcomes for my patients were not as good as I expected
·The surgeons stopped returning my calls when I had questions about cases
✓We started using a facility that provides faster feedback on patient outcomes
·Insurance networks changed and more of my patients are steered to other providers
·My office staff had trouble getting appointments scheduled in a reasonable timeframe
·A competitor reached out with a dedicated liaison who makes referrals easier

Q2When you say faster feedback, what specifically were you not getting from us that the other facility provides?

·A phone call from the surgeon within 24 hours of the procedure
·Weekly status updates while the patient is still in the hospital
·A care coordinator who keeps me informed without me having to chase down information
✓Discharge summaries and follow-up notes that arrive while the patient's case is still fresh
·Direct access to imaging and operative reports through a shared portal
·Text or email alerts when the patient is discharged so I know to expect them back

Q3How long does it typically take for our discharge summaries to reach you compared to what you need?

·They arrive within a week, which is acceptable for most cases
·They arrive 3 to 5 days after discharge, but I would prefer them sooner
·They arrive inconsistently, sometimes 5 days and sometimes 2 weeks
·They arrive within a few days, but they often lack the level of detail I need
✓They arrive 7 to 10 days after discharge, sometimes longer, and I need them within 2 to 3 days
·They arrive more than two weeks later, which makes them nearly useless for continuity of care

Q4Has the delay in receiving summaries affected your clinical decisions or your patients' experience?

·Not really, my patients are generally stable enough that a delay does not matter
·It creates minor inconvenience but has not affected outcomes
·It has made me second-guess referrals but has not caused clinical problems yet
·It affects my ability to coordinate medications and therapy, which frustrates patients
·It forces me to call your office to get information, which wastes time for both of us
✓Yes, patients return for follow-up before I have the surgical details, which creates confusion

Q5If we could consistently get discharge summaries to you within 48 hours, how would that change your referral decisions?

·It would not change much, since there are other reasons I have concerns about the partnership
·It would help, but I would still need to see better surgical outcomes before increasing referrals
·It would make me more likely to refer, but I would still send some cases to the closer facility
·It would put Highland back on equal footing with the competitor I am currently using
✓I would return to sending most of my spine cases to Highland if communication improved
·I would immediately shift all of my referrals back to Highland and recommend you to colleagues

The verdict it produced

Written for whoever ran the campaign. The respondent never sees it.

Dr. Webb referred 11 spine patients last quarter but only 2 this quarter. He has shifted volume to a competitor that delivers discharge summaries within 2 to 3 days. Highland's summaries take 7 to 10 days, and patients are returning to his office before he has the surgical details. He described confusion at the point of care. If Highland can deliver summaries within 48 hours, he will return most referrals. The relationship is intact but the operational failure is costing volume.

communication gap negative high confidence

Dr. Webb is not receiving discharge summaries in a timeframe that supports continuity of care.

discharge summary timing negative high confidence

Current turnaround time for discharge summaries is 7 to 10 days, well beyond clinical need.

competitive shift negative high confidence

Dr. Webb has redirected referrals to a facility that delivers faster clinical feedback.

relationship health mixed medium confidence

The underlying relationship remains salvageable if the operational issue is fixed.

patient feedback loop negative high confidence

Delayed summaries are creating clinical confusion when patients return for follow-up visits.

See this on your own data

Fifteen minutes, screen to screen. We run your real question through RadRoot while you watch, and you leave with the follow-up it wrote and a price.

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