Sending outgoing referrals

Outgoing referrals are created from a visit in Outgoing referrals. In the left sidebar, click Visits, then click the visit. In the visit, open Outgoing referrals. Ona drafts the letter from that visit, then you review the content, choose the fax recipient, and send the referral by fax.

How do I generate a referral letter?

In the left sidebar, click Visits, then click the visit. In the visit, open Outgoing referrals when you want Ona to draft a referral letter from the visit.

1. In Outgoing referrals, select Generate referral. If the visit already has outgoing referrals, select New.
2. Choose a Recipient from your fax contacts, if you know who should receive it.
3. Add Instructions for what the letter should include.
4. Add Attachments if supporting chart documents should go with the fax.
5. Choose Custom Template if you want to draft from one of your templates.
6. Select Generate referral.

Ona shows Generating referral… while it drafts the letter, then opens Edit referral letter for review.

How do I review and edit a referral before sending?

In the left sidebar, click Visits, then click the visit. In the visit, open Outgoing referrals before you send it. The editor keeps the recipient, attachments and letter content in one panel.

1. Open the referral draft from Outgoing referrals.
2. Confirm or change the Recipient.
3. Review Attachments and add or remove documents if needed.
4. Edit the letter body.
5. Select Save as draft if you want to keep changes without sending.

Save as draft is available only when the draft has changes and the letter has content. After saving, the panel closes and the referral stays in Outgoing referrals as a draft.

How do I attach chart documents to an outgoing referral?

In the left sidebar, click Visits, then click the visit. In the visit, open Outgoing referrals when supporting documents should be faxed behind the letter.

1. In the referral panel, open Attachments.
2. Use the search field or type chips to find documents in the patient's chart.
3. Select the documents to include.
4. Select Done.
5. Use the remove button next to a document if you picked the wrong one.

The picker groups documents from This visit separately from Earlier chart documents when both are available. If nothing in the patient's chart can be attached yet, the picker says so. When the attachment limit is reached, the picker stops adding more documents.

How do I sign and send an outgoing referral?

In the left sidebar, click Visits, then click the visit. In the visit, open Outgoing referrals after you review the letter and choose a recipient.

1. Open the referral draft.
2. Confirm the Recipient.
3. Review the letter and attachments.
4. Select Sign and send.

Ona saves the latest content, records your signature on the letter, and starts faxing it. The panel closes, and the referral may show Sending while the fax is in progress.

Owners, admins and clinicians can sign and send. Staff do not see Sign and send.

How do I use the Share menu instead of signing?

In the left sidebar, click Visits, then click the visit. In the visit, open Outgoing referrals when you need to export the referral packet or prepare it for fax without using Sign and send.

1. Open a referral in the editor.
2. Open the Share menu in the panel header.
3. Choose the export or fax option shown there.

The Share menu uses the current letter content, selected attachments and recipient name to prepare the packet. If you choose a fax option, the fax dialog opens with the referral packet attached.

How do I delete an outgoing referral?

In the left sidebar, click Visits, then click the visit. In the visit, open Outgoing referrals when it should be removed from the visit's outgoing referral list.

1. Find the referral in Outgoing referrals.
2. Select Delete referral on that referral row.

Ona removes the outgoing referral. If the referral was open in the side panel, the panel closes.

Outgoing referral statuses

In the left sidebar, click Visits, then click the visit. In the visit, open Outgoing referrals. The Outgoing referrals card shows the status of each referral on the visit.

Status	What it means
Draft	The referral letter has been generated and can still be edited.
Sending	The signed referral is being faxed.
Sent	The referral was sent. The letter is kept as it went out.
Failed	The send failed. If a failure reason is available, it appears on the referral row.

A referral row also shows who it is addressed to, a short preview of the letter, the creation date, and an attachment count when attachments are included. A signed referral shows Signed next to its status.

What can't I do here?

In the left sidebar, click Visits, then click the visit. In the visit, open Outgoing referrals. Outgoing referrals are limited in these ways:

• You cannot select Sign and send until the letter has content and a recipient is selected.
• Sent and sending referrals are locked. You can view them, but you cannot edit the Recipient, Attachments or letter content.
• Sent referrals show the signature record when a signature is available.
• Staff do not get the Sign and send button.
• You cannot add more documents once the attachment picker reaches its limit.
• You cannot add attachments when the visit is not linked to a patient chart, or when the patient chart has no attachable documents.

Common questions

Can I save a referral without sending it?

Yes. After the letter is generated, edit it and select Save as draft. The referral remains in Draft status.

Do I have to choose a recipient before generating the draft?

No. You can generate the letter without a recipient, then choose the Recipient while editing. You need a recipient before you can use Sign and send.

Can I change attachments after generating the letter?

Yes, while the referral is still editable. Open the draft, change Attachments, then save or sign and send.

Can I edit a referral after it is sent?

No. Sent and sending referrals are locked and kept as they went out.

Why don't I see Sign and send?

Only owners, admins and clinicians can sign outgoing referral letters. The button also stays disabled until the letter has content and a recipient is selected.