Referals for Specialists

[Corie]

Can someone give me some insight into how the referal systems work in Ontario?

 

For instance, if your a newly minted general internist, how would you get your first patients?

 

Which medical specialties (if any) can you take on patients without referals? Thank you.

[dentopia11]

i dont know a lot but paeds is one that does take patients without referrals

[cheech10]

You would advertise to local family docs about your new practice. Generally, you can get a fair number of referrals early on because you would have no waiting time to see new patients. You would also get patients from the local hospital as an internist, from follow-up of patients you see in hospital and emerg.

 

In Ontario at least, you can see some patients without a referral, but you can only bill visit codes or general practice codes rather than specialist consultations, and there is a significant financial difference between them.