The practical question
Notice early, act within role, and complete the handoff.
Use this page as a controlled working guide. Adapt language and activities to the population, verify local resources, assign ownership, and preserve the clinical and life-safety boundaries described throughout the model.
Response 02
SEC-29The completed handoff standard
A referral is not complete because a form was faxed, a link was texted, or a participant was told to call someone. Service is complete when the next step has been accepted, scheduled, confirmed, and tracked—or when a documented barrier has been reassigned to an owner.
AcceptedThe receiving service confirms it can evaluate or serve the person.
ScheduledA date, time, location or link, contact person, and preparation requirements are known.
ConfirmedThe participant understands, consents where required, and has transportation, technology, documents, and reminders.
TrackedThe referring team knows whether the next step occurred, what barrier emerged, and who owns follow-up.
Handoff failure points
| Failure point | What it sounds like | Required correction |
|---|---|---|
| Passive referral | “Here is a number. Call them.” | Assist with contact, consent, scheduling, and barrier planning. |
| Eligibility surprise | “They said I do not qualify.” | Verify population, payer, geography, documents, and exclusions before sending. |
| Transportation gap | “I had no way to get there.” | Assign transportation ownership before appointment confirmation. |
| Technology gap | “The link did not work.” | Test device, privacy, data, platform, and backup contact. |
| Documentation gap | “They still need the assessment or release.” | Track missing items with owner and deadline. |
| No follow-up | “We assumed they went.” | Set a specific follow-up date and closure status. |
| Closed-loop silence | “The partner cannot tell us anything.” | Use consent-compliant status exchange and minimum necessary information. |
Completed handoff tracker
BPTC-F-018Participant record