To ensure timely and appropriate response to patient concerns, this guide outlines when to mark a case as Urgent and what details must be included to support efficient clinical follow-up.

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What to Include in Patient Cases

To ensure efficient and appropriate routing, all patient cases—urgent or not—should include the following:

• Patient Name and DOB

• Clear reason for the case (Include specific concern, symptom, or action requested.)

• Who contacted us (Patient, hospital, pharmacy, lab, provider, etc.)

• What they are requesting or reporting

• Timeline or urgency (“Needs appointment this week,” “waiting 3 days,” “symptomatic since yesterday,” etc.)

• Any relevant background or context ("Patient was recently hospitalized for X", "Currently on Y medication")

• Always document the reason for urgency in your patient case note for clarity and handoff accuracy.

• Correct all spelling errors before submitting the case.

• Do not include the phrase “please advise” unless you are requesting clarification or further guidance from the receiving team.
  If no additional action or clarification is needed, simply document the facts clearly—“please advise” is not necessary.

• A patient's chart is considered legal medical documentation—accuracy matters and incomplete or incorrect information can delay care and affect clinical decision-making.

🔴 CRITICAL – Mark as Urgent and SEND TO TRIAGE

These situations are the highest priority and must be triaged without delay:

• Mental health crises (including self-harm or suicidal ideation)

• EMERGENCY SYMPTOMS AS LISTED IN MATRIX

• STI-related concerns:

  • STI screenings or checks

  • STI exposure (PEP/PrEP initiation)

🟠 HIGH PRIORITY – Mark as Urgent

Behavioral Health & Psychiatry

• Request to convert an existing psychiatry medication management appointment to telemedicine

• Patient or hospital calling to schedule a psychiatric follow-up

Prescription, Diabetes, and Prior Authorization

• Prescription refill updates on existing requests after 72 business hr. from initial date of request 

• Diabetic management concerns or medication-related questions

• Prior authorization approval still pending after 2+ days from initial request

Clinical Follow-Ups & Patient Safety

• Emergency Room or hospital discharge follow-up needed

• Deceased patient notification

Time-Sensitive Pediatric Care

• No availability on Dr. Kirk’s schedule within 5 business days for a pediatric newborn appointment

Communication-Related Cases

• Imaging facility or lab calling for verbal orders, and the clinic nurse is unavailable

• Provider-to-provider calls regarding a specific patient

• Triage-eligible calls received after 4:45 PM