The Journal of family practice
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To examine family physicians' referral decisions, which we conceptualized as having 2 phases: whether to refer followed by to whom to refer. ⋯ Referrals are commonly made during encounters other than office visits, such as telephone conversations or staff-patient interactions, in primary care practice. Training in the referral process should ensure that family physicians obtain the skills necessary to expand their scope of practice, when appropriate; determine when and why a patient should be referred; and identify the type of practitioner to whom the patient should be sent.