Referral questions that show where patients fall between two teams
Ask patients how the referral went, from getting it moving and the wait to whether the specialist had their notes. Each question below comes with when to ask it and what the answer tells you.
What referral survey questions tell you
Referral survey questions ask patients about the gap between two teams: how long it took for the specialist to make contact, whether they knew who to chase, whether their notes arrived ahead of them and how many times they had to explain their situation. Neither the referring clinic nor the specialist sees the whole path, and the patient may be the only one who does.
Ask soon after the first specialist visit, when the whole path is behind the patient. Send by email from a contact list or put the link in your own follow up message, and pick four to six questions. The open questions already ask patients to leave out medical details; keep that line, since Usertick doesn't sign business associate agreements, and ask about the steps, never the reason for the referral.
Each written answer is read as it arrives and given a category, a theme, a sentiment and an urgency. In the inbox, each response gets an owner and a status, so a referral that stalled gets a named person to follow it up.
- Questions
- 14
- Best asked
- Soon after the first specialist visit
- Industry
- Healthcare
- Where to find them
- From library in the Usertick survey editor, on every plan
The 14 referrals and specialists questions, with when to ask each
Grouped by what they tell you. Use them as they are or change the wording.
Getting the referral moving
Start with how hard it was to get going and who did the work, so you know where the path starts to drag.
- 01Customer effort
How easy was it to get your referral moving?
A customer effort score for getting the referral started, on a 7 point scale. Results shows the average and the share who found it easy, a headline for the whole path.
- 04Multiple choice
Who arranged the referral?
Who arranged the referral, including I am not sure. Select an answer in Results to filter the page and compare waits when the clinic or the patient did the work.
- 05Stars
How clearly was the reason for the referral explained?
A star rating for how clearly the reason for the referral was explained. Results shows the average; keep any follow up question on the explanation, never the condition.
- 11Dropdown
How did you hear about your appointment?
How the patient heard about the appointment. Results shows each share in a donut; compare it with the days question to see which route reaches patients fastest.
The wait for the specialist
These questions measure the wait and show where it went, so you can work on the slowest step first.
- 02Ruler
How many days passed before the specialist contacted you?
Days until the specialist made contact, on a ruler up to 90. Results shows the median and the middle half, which tells you whether long waits are routine or rare.
- 03Yes / No
Did you know who to chase while you waited?
A yes or no on knowing who to chase. Each No is a patient who may have called both clinics, so name one contact in every referral letter.
- 09Points allocation
Split 100 points across where the referral lost the most time
Patients split 100 points across five places the referral could lose time. Results shows the average points per item, which tells you whether paperwork, slots or approvals come first.
The handover to the specialist
Ask whether notes traveled with the patient and how often they had to explain themselves, the signs of a handover that works.
- 07Yes / No
Did the specialist already have your notes when you arrived?
Asks whether the specialist had the notes on arrival. A No points to the handover between clinics, and a rising share tells you to check how notes are sent.
- 13Number
How many people did you have to explain your situation to?
How many people the patient had to explain their situation to. Results shows the median and the middle half; a high median means the notes aren't traveling with the patient.
- 08Big scale
How confident were you that nothing fell through the cracks?
Confidence that nothing fell through the cracks, from 1 to 10. Results shows the average and a column per step; low scores next to a No on the notes question show where trust broke.
- 10Multiple choice
How much choice did you have over who you saw?
How much choice the patient had over the specialist. Results shows each share in a donut, a useful check before you change how specialists are offered.
- 12Matrix
Rate each step of the referral
Rates four steps, from being told what happens next to the visit itself. The heat map shows which step pulls the experience down, with an average for each row.
What to explain better
End with the open questions, so patients can say what would have helped while the wait is still fresh.
- 06Text
What would have helped while you waited?
An open question about the wait. The placeholder asks patients to leave out medical details; read the themes to see whether updates, a contact or advice for the meantime come up most.
- 14Text
What should we explain better about referrals?
The open question on what to explain better. The placeholder asks for no medical details; filter by theme to collect the questions your referral letter should answer.
Tips for asking about referrals and specialists
Small choices that get honest, useful answers.
- 01
Ask after the first specialist visit
By then the patient has seen the whole path, from the first conversation to the specialist's door.
- 02
Name one person to chase
When answers show patients didn't know who to chase, put one contact in every referral letter and check the share again next period.
- 03
Keep the reason for the referral out
Usertick doesn't sign business associate agreements, so ask about the steps and the wait, never the condition. Keep the placeholder asking patients to leave out medical details.
- 04
Follow up referrals that went quiet
Give every answer about a stalled referral an owner in the inbox, and call the patient with a date.
Add these questions to a survey
From the library to the first answers.
- 1
Open the library
In the Usertick survey editor, choose From library, filter by industry and topic, and add several questions at once.
- 2
Or paste your own list
Paste questions reads up to 10 questions from any text on Free, 100 on Starter and 200 on Pro and above, keeps your wording and picks an answer type for each.
- 3
Choose where it runs
Show the survey on your website, send it by email, share its link and QR code, or switch it to a conversation.
- 4
Read the answers
Results counts every score and choice, and Usertick reads each written answer and files it by topic, on every plan.
Templates and more questions about referrals and specialists
Full surveys that ask about the same things, and neighboring topics in the library.
Templates
Browse all templatesFrequently asked questions
Soon after the first specialist visit. Usertick sends to a contact list now or on a date up to 30 days ahead, with no automatic send after a visit in another system, so send weekly batches.
The referring clinic sees the whole path best, since it started it. Share what you learn with the specialist's team, since half the steps happen there.
Four to six: the effort score, the days until contact, who to chase, the notes question and an open question.
Leave the reason out. Usertick doesn't sign business associate agreements, so ask about the steps, the wait and the explanations, never the condition.
Yes. The question library comes with every plan, the free plan included, and the free plan covers 150 responses a month across your surveys.
Yes. Once a question is in your survey, reword it, change its options or its answer type, and add logic to skip it for some answers.
Yes. The library is translated into Usertick's built-in languages, and in any other language it shows in English for you to translate.
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