Referring doctor: how do you prepare a request for an opinion or a patient transfer to Morocco?

Framing the question

A request with no explicit question forces the receiving team to guess what is expected. It helps to state from the outset whether it is:

• an opinion on an uncertain diagnosis or on imaging;
• an opinion on whether a treatment, such as surgery, is indicated;
• a request for planned care in Morocco;
• a request for the urgent transfer of a hospitalised patient.

The level of urgency should be stated honestly: it determines the order in which requests are handled and how transport is organised.

Writing a useful summary letter

The summary letter is the most-read document in the file. It benefits from a simple structure:

• the patient’s identity, age, weight and family situation if it matters for the care pathway;
• the reason for the request and the question being asked;
• medical and surgical history, allergies;
• the history of the current illness, in chronological order, with dates;
• recent clinical examination, vital signs and functional status;
• the tests carried out, with their main results;
• current treatments and those already tried, with doses and the response obtained;
• the doctor’s contact details, including a number on which they can be reached.

For an urgent transfer, a short one-page version, updated on the day, is more useful than a long, old file.

Sending tests in a usable format

• Imaging: the images themselves, ideally in DICOM format provided by the imaging centre on CD, USB stick or download link, with the reports. A photo of a screen or film often does not allow a reliable interpretation.
• Pathology: the report, and the name of the laboratory that holds the blocks and slides, in case a review is requested.
• Laboratory tests: dated results, with units and the laboratory’s reference ranges.
• Previous operative and hospital reports.

Patient consent and confidentiality

Medical information is only sent with the consent of the patient or their legal representative. It is better to send only the documents relevant to the request and to check the patient’s identity on each item. As no secure portal is yet in service on this website, documents are sent by email or WhatsApp: the doctor and the patient are informed of this.

What the referring doctor receives in return

Depending on the request, the reply may be a written opinion, a request for further tests, a proposal for care in Morocco with an estimate, or a recommendation that treatment continue locally. If the patient is treated, the referring doctor receives, with the patient’s consent, the consultation, hospital and operative reports, as well as the follow-up plan.

Preparing the return together

Follow-up after the return relies on the referring doctor. It helps to agree before discharge what will be monitored, which check-up tests can be done locally, which medicines are available locally and how to contact the team that treated the patient. This continuity avoids breaks in treatment and avoidable readmissions.

Common mistakes that delay a reply

• a request without a precise question;
• undated or illegible documents;
• sending imaging reports without the images;
• an old file for a patient whose condition has changed;
• no phone number for a doctor who can be reached.

Frequently asked questions