. . . with documenting consultations

The three parts of documenting a consultation remain the same: request, render, report. It is also important to document the intent of the request. If there is mutual agreement that this involves the transfer of care, a consultation is not appropriate and a new patient evaluation should be reported. However, until the surgeon has evaluated the patient--that is to say, performed the consultation--it is difficult to justify accepting the transfer of care. It is helpful if a compliance plan specifies how this intent is documented, such as a consult/transfer of care request form or letter originating with the requesting physician, and retained in both charts or in a common document.