Referring patients to Peter Mac

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Referring patients to Peter Mac - Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre

PETER MAC REFERRAL TEMPLATE >>

MEDICAL DIRECTOR REFERRAL TEMPLATE >>

INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS >>

The patient is bulk billed and there is no out of pocket cost. Please provide a 12 month or indefinite referral (whichever you prefer) to a named specialist. a) This can be of your choice. b) If you are uncertain please refer to heads of department e.g. • A/Prof Alexander Herriot (Surgical Oncology) • A/Prof Danny Rischin (Medical Oncology) • Prof Gillian Duchesne (Radiation Oncology) • A/Prof John Seymour (Haematology) Your patient will be triaged and seen by a doctor in the appropriate speciality (e.g. breast) with either option If there are no named specialists on the referral (i.e. dear doctor) Peter Mac will be obligated to request a further referral, fulfilling these MBS requirements, directly from you. Your patient may be internally referred to another department (e.g. radiation). In this case your patient will be asked to return to you for an indefinite or 12 month referral. This is because an internal referral (i.e. Peter Mac specialist to specialist) only lasts 3 months. The patient is still given the choice to go publicly or privately (MBS bulk-billed) at their initial visit. Each option is explained to them and most choose to go privately. If there is a named specialist on the referral the patient can still elect to go publicly. However if they elect to go privately and there is no named specialist, as stated above, a further referral will be required. Wherever possible, we will endeavour to provide an appointment with your requested clinician, however, certain circumstances may necessitate an alternative clinician being arranged.

The Referral and Management Guidelines:

Include referral and Management Guidelines for each tumour stream: clinical information, the specialist clinic's clinicians, and the investigations and diagnostics required for referral which will assist in triaging. All referral forms to be used in conjunction with the referral guidelines for each tumour stream. The referral guidelines are not intended to preclude a referral where the diagnosis is unclear or if a second opinion for management options is requested. All criteria and guidelines throughout this site are to be considered as merely 'guides'. As with any health service guidelines, generally accepted clinical practice and judgment must prevail. If you have any concerns regarding appointments or change in condition of your patient, please contact the Peter Mac Switchboard on 03 9656 1111 and ask for the Nurse Coordinator or Clinical Chair of the Tumour Service.

Patients ineligible for Medicare

Special arrangements apply to patients without a Medicare card or patients visiting from overseas. Please contact the MEDICARE ineligible Patient Coordinator 03 9656 1031 to ensure appropriate arrangements can be made for your patient.

General referral guidelines

Referrals should include: • The patient's full name and if appropriate, the name of the parent or care-giver and their contact details • Name of medical practitioner or Chair of the service you are referring to • The patient's address • The patient's telephone number (home and alternative) • The patient's date of birth • Medicare number • Interpreter required and language spoken • Specific diagnosis and/or clinical reason for referral (e.g. severity, duration, physical finding) • Relevant investigation, including details of relevant previous treatment and investigations including x-rays, ultrasound's, endoscopy findings, blood tests, bone density, etc. (photocopied results and films where appropriate). • Note: hard copy of diagnostic imaging to be sent in with patient where possible. • Details of any relevant medical history • Details of current medications and any drug allergies, e.g. previous adverse response • Provider number and referring clinician details +/- practice stamp. This information should be detailed routinely in all referrals. If this data is provided, valuable clinical time can be used seeing patients rather than attempting to gather information that was readily available to the referring doctor.

Patients for Consideration of Clinical Trials

If you have a patient you are referring to Peter Mac for consideration of a clinical trial please refer solid tumour patients to Medical Oncology Department Head Associate Professor Danny Rischin; for haematology patients please refer to Haematology Department Head Associate Professor John Seymour. If you would like to know more about what clinical trials are available at Peter Mac, please refer to the Cancer council website at http://www.cancervic.org.au/about-our-research/clinical-trials