Once you have identified services appropriate for your patients and their families you'll want to share this information in a way that is useful to them. Patients and families look to providers for referrals to helpful community resources and appreciate them.
- Lists of community resources can be offered to patients as handouts.
- Lists can also be made available on a practice, network or system web site, if you have one.
- Posters provided by the CBO, in waiting rooms or exam rooms, can give patients and families ideas and contact inforrmation.
- Print information about a particularly helpful referral you find yourself making repeatedly on a 3/5 card or bookmark and hand to appropriate patients during clinical visits.
- Some practices are experimenting with "prescribing" or making referrals to community-based programs and services.
- You can have simple referral forms readily available.
- Patients are more likely to check out a resource you have personally referred them to. A sample referral form is available here.
Tips for Success:
- Identify liaisons at the CBO: It can be helpful to have the name of a designated person at an organization who has agreed to be a direct contact for your patients. Individuals will often feel more comfortable if they have a specific person to contact.
- Likewise, identify a CBO-liasion at your practice: it is helpful for community organizations to have a contact designated at your site.
- Keep in touch with your contact person at key CBOs. Contact key CBOs once or twice a year to learn about new programs and/or staff turnover.
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If desired, you can go beyond referring and informing individual patients. You can partner with CBOs on programs and mutual support.