---
id: referral-intake-new-referral
title: Create a new referral
module: referral-intake
audience: [intake]
roles: [intake_coordinator, referral_coordinator]
type: how-to
estimated_minutes: 4
last_reviewed: 2026-04-24
app_route: /facility/{facility_uuid}/referrals
related:
  - referral-intake-overview
  - referral-intake-fax-queue-review
tags: [referrals, new]
---

# Create a new referral

Use this flow when a referral arrives by phone or email — anything that did **not** come through the fax line. (Faxes flow through [Fax Queue Review](./fax-queue-review.md) instead.)

## Before you start

- You know the patient's legal name, DOB, phone, and address.
- You know the referring practice and PCP (or have the fax cover sheet).
- You have the primary insurance card on hand.

## Steps

1. **Go to Referral Intake.** Click **Referral Intake** in the sidebar or press ⌘K and type "new referral".
2. **Click + New Referral** in the top-right.
3. **Fill Demographics.** Required: **First Name**, **Last Name**, **DOB**, **Phone**, **Address**. Optional: Gender, Preferred Language.
4. **Add Practice & PCP.** Type to search — existing practices autocomplete from your CRM. New practice? Click **+ Add new practice** inline.
5. **Add Insurance.** Start typing the payer name — the field searches the 4,118-payer catalog. Enter **Member ID** and (if present) **Group #** and Secondary Payer.
6. **Set Urgency & Assignment.** Pick **Routine**, **Urgent**, or **STAT**. Leave Assigned Clinician blank if you want to hand off to a manager; set it now if you know who should take the case.
7. **Clinical.** Chief Complaint, Wound Location, Wound Etiology, ICD-10 codes, Notes. Use the `Ctrl+K` ICD-10 picker to find codes by description.
8. **Click Save & Route.** The referral drops into **New Referrals** (or **Financial** if you set insurance, depending on your org's workflow config).

![New Referral form](../../assets/referral-intake/new-referral-form.png)

## Result

A new card appears in the kanban with the patient's name, DOB, and urgency color-coded. The detail panel opens automatically — upload any documents (script, progress notes) on the **Documents** tab now.

<Tip>
If the patient already exists in your system, Medipyxis matches on DOB + last name + phone and warns you before creating a duplicate.
</Tip>

## Troubleshooting

| Symptom | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Save button disabled | A required field is empty | Scroll up — missing fields are outlined in red |
| Payer not found | Outdated spelling, or out-of-network payer | Click **Request payer add** — admin reviews in 1 business day |
| Duplicate warning | Existing patient matches on DOB+name | Click **Open existing** or **Continue anyway** with supervisor note |