Information for referring physicians

Emergent Conditions:

• Emergent referrals will not be accepted in triage. Referring physicians must page the Outpatient Rheumatologist On-Call to discuss.
• The following conditions are deemed EMERGENT:
  • Temporal Arteritis (Giant Cell Arteritis)
  • Organ-threatening Vasculitis or CTD
  • SLE Flare with Organ Damage
  • Urgent ED follow-up to facilitate discharge

Routine Conditions:

• Booking either virtually or in-person clinic appointments or providing advice on Specialist LINK as required.
• Please fax referral to Central Access and Triage.
• See https://www.specialistlink.ca/clinical-pathways/clinical-pathways.cfm for primary care pathways on gout, and peripheral arthritis. 

Semi-Urgent Conditions:

• Booking either virtually or in-person clinic appointments or providing advice on Specialist LINK as required.
• Please fax referral to Central Access and Triage.
• The following conditions are deemed semi-urgent
  • Inflammatory Arthritis with no swelling
  • PMR (please call Specialist link to discuss)
  • Stable Myopathy
  • Crystal Arthropathy (use gout pathway while waiting)

Urgent Conditions:

• Booking in-person clinic appointments.
• Please fax referral to Central Access and Triage.
• If uncertain about time frame or urgency, please page the Out-patient Rheumatologist On-Call through Calgary Regional Paging System on ROCA or through 403-944-1110 (FMC) to discuss.
• The following conditions are deemed urgent:
  • Early Inflammatory Arthritis with swelling
  • Active Vasculitis or CTD that is not organ threatening
  • Myositis

Referral to the Young Adults with Rheumatic Disease (YARD) network:

The YARD network referral form can be access here.