Hospital and clinic documents
Referral letter explainer
A referral letter is short, written by one clinician for another, and it squeezes your story under headings and initials such as HPC, PMH and DH. The priority line near the top is often the part people puzzle over most. Add your letter below to see each section restated in ordinary words.
Explain your referral letter
- 1. Add itDrop a PDF, take a photo or paste the text.
- 2. Check itPersonal details are removed on your device. You approve what is sent.
- 3. Read itSummary, table of results, terms and questions to ask.
The explainer opens on its own page with no adverts and no outside scripts. Your file is read on your device and is never uploaded.
What you get
- The question your doctor is putting to the specialist, separated from the rest of the letter.
- History headings such as HPC, PMH, DH and SH spelled out, with what was written under each.
- The priority or urgency label quoted as the letter gives it, with a note on what kind of label it is.
- Questions to ask the practice that sent the referral or the clinic receiving it.
Parts of a typical referral letter
- Reason for referralThe question or request the referrer is sending to the specialist
- HPC (history of presenting complaint)The account of the current problem and how it has changed
- PMH and DHPast medical history, and drug history, meaning current medicines and allergies
- O/E and IxWhat was found on examination, and the investigations (tests) already done
- PriorityA label such as routine, soon or urgent telling the receiving clinic how the referrer wants the request handled
- Pathway namesSome health services use named booking routes for particular kinds of referral, and the letter may quote one
- EnclosuresResults, medication lists or earlier letters sent along with the referral
What this tool cannot tell you
MedicDecode restates what the referral says. It cannot tell you how long you will wait, whether the referral has been received or accepted, or what the specialist will decide. Priority labels are defined by each health service and each clinic, so the same word can mean different things in different places. The practice that wrote the letter can tell you why it chose that wording, and the receiving clinic can tell you where your referral stands.
Common questions
Does urgent on my referral mean something serious has been found?
The explanation cannot answer that, because the label records how the referrer wants the request scheduled and is not a diagnosis. The letter may or may not say why that label was chosen. The doctor who referred you is the one to ask what they had in mind.
What do phrases such as please see and advise mean?
They are stock phrases for the request being made. Some ask the specialist to see you and write back with an opinion or a plan, and others ask the specialist to take over care of the problem. The explanation quotes the request as your letter words it.
The letter says something about me that is wrong. What can I do?
Tell the practice that wrote it, since they hold the record the letter was drawn from, and mention the correction to the specialist at your appointment. MedicDecode only restates the text and cannot check it against your records.
Words you may see on this report
Tap a word for its plain-English meaning, an example line and what it does not mean.
- Referral
A referral is when one health professional asks another, usually a specialist or service, to see you or carry out a test.
- Dialysis
Dialysis is a treatment that removes waste and extra fluid from the blood when the kidneys can no longer do this well enough.
- Directly observed therapy
Directly observed therapy (DOT) means a health worker watches you take each dose of a medicine, most often for tuberculosis treatment.
- Discharge summary
A discharge summary is a document written when you leave hospital that explains why you were there, what was done, and what happens next.
- Follow-up appointment
A follow-up appointment is a planned visit after a test, treatment or hospital stay to check progress and decide next steps.
- Hemodialysis
Hemodialysis is a treatment where a machine filters the blood to remove waste and extra fluid when the kidneys cannot do it well enough.
- Nil by mouth
Nil by mouth means a person should not eat or drink anything, usually before surgery, a procedure or certain tests.
- Palliative
Palliative means care or treatment focused on easing symptoms and improving quality of life, rather than on removing the illness itself.
- Triage
Triage is the process of sorting patients by how urgently they need care, so the most urgent are seen first.
- Vital signs
Vital signs are basic body measurements, such as heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate, temperature and oxygen level.