What should you do once you have scheduled an appointment linked to a referral?

Once an appointment linked to a referral is scheduled, closing the referral is the appropriate action to take. This is because it signifies that the referral process is complete from the perspective of the referring provider and their office. By closing the referral, you are properly documenting that the patient has been scheduled for the necessary services, thus keeping the system updated and organized.

While notifying the referring provider is typically good practice to ensure they are aware the appointment has been scheduled, the critical step in the referral process is to close it, which indicates that the request for services has been carried out. Similarly, sending a confirmation to the patient is important for patient communication but does not replace the need to document and close the referral in the system. Returning the referral to the work queue would suggest that there is still an unresolved action, which is not the case once the appointment is scheduled.