When I make a referral to a medical professional my client never comes back, what do I do?

I am a strong advocate for referring clients in your post rehab practice to a medical professional for evaluation if you encounter a situation beyond your scope of practice. But more post rehab professionals are noting the complete loss of the client referred. The medical professional may advise the client simply to discontinue exercise or institute a program of treatment for the client without communicating the findings of the assessment and/or recommenndations for treatment. I can see how this can be very frustrating for the post rehab professional. In your attempt to act professionally by making a referral to lose the client annd receive no communication. I would certainly feel used.

I would follow up with the client directly and find out what recommendations were made. If you have made a referral and sent along a letter of introduction with your client, you certainly deserve to know the outcome of the visit. In this situation, I will admit this is not professional conduct on the part of the medical professional. Medical professionals regularly receive referrals and common practice is to send a follow-up report to the referral source with recommendations and a thank you. I can only guess the medical professional may not feel a referral from a fitness professional warrants a follow-up report. In one of my next blog posts I will note a strategy that will help you eliminate this situation and make it easier to communicate with medical professionals.

If you have encountered this issue, please share your experience with other post rehab professionals by commenting here on the Post Rehab Blog. Thanks.

Dr Mike