Referrals · Authorization
Who should own a referral after authorization is complete?
There is no universal owner because local workflows vary. The organization should define the event that marks authorization as complete, the receiving role or queue, the expected handoff time and the exception path when scheduling or referral readiness is still incomplete.
First checks
Work through the workflow before escalating blindly.
- Confirm the local definition of authorization complete.
- Identify the receiving team or queue.
- Check whether another readiness requirement remains.
- Document the expected handoff time.
- Define what happens when the receiving team does not accept ownership.
Ownership questions
- Who marks the authorization stage complete?
- Who receives the work next?
- Who handles denials, partial approvals or missing information?
- Who owns aged items after authorization?
Avoid making the problem worse
Common failure patterns
- Assuming authorization completion automatically means schedulable.
- Using personal inboxes as the handoff standard.
- Bypassing required payer or organizational policy.
When to escalate
If the approved workflow says the referral should route automatically but it does not, route the issue to the authorized application team. Policy and payer determinations stay with the organization’s designated teams.
Related resources
Continue with the closest workflow tool.
Prior authorization guide→Prior authorization topic→Scheduling workflows→Boundary: Your organization’s approved policy, configuration, security controls and escalation process always control. HelpEpic is independent workflow guidance, not clinical advice or official Epic support. Never send HelpEpic patient names, DOBs, MRNs, screenshots, records, passwords, tokens or confidential internal information.