Consult communication
How to Consult a Specialist
Use these pages after you know a consult is reasonable. Each one focuses the call around the specialty's decision, key data, exam details, and avoidable low-signal phrasing.
The Shared Model
A good consult tells the receiving service who you are, why you are calling, what decision you need, what objective data matters, and what has already been tried. The specialty pages below translate that model into the language each service naturally expects.
Specialty scripts
Choose the Consult Type
Gynecologic Oncology
What to include when calling Gynecologic Oncology about suspected or known gynecologic malignancy, adnexal mass, tumor markers, bleeding, or disposition questions.
How to consultDermatology
What to include when calling Dermatology about rash, blistering disease, drug reactions, mucosal lesions, sloughing skin, or complex skin infection.
How to consultOphthalmology
What to include when calling Ophthalmology about red eye, vision loss, eye pain, trauma, pressure concern, contact lens complications, or orbital symptoms.
How to consultInfectious Disease
What to include when calling Infectious Disease about bacteremia, source control, resistant organisms, antibiotic duration, immunocompromised infection, or OPAT planning.
How to consultUrology
What to include when calling Urology about obstructing infected stones, urinary retention, torsion, priapism, Fournier concern, hematuria, Foley difficulty, or device problems.
How to consultOtolaryngology
What to include when calling ENT about airway symptoms, deep neck infection, epistaxis, PTA/RPA, facial trauma, hearing loss, mastoiditis, or trach problems.
How to consultHand Surgery
What to include when calling Hand Surgery about flexor tenosynovitis, fight bite, ischemia, tendon injury, fracture, dislocation, infection, or neurovascular concern.
How to consultInterventional Radiology
What to include when calling Interventional Radiology about drainage, biopsy, embolization, nephrostomy, cholecystostomy, thrombectomy, line access, or procedure readiness.
How to consultRheumatology
What to include when calling Rheumatology about vasculitis, inflammatory arthritis, lupus flare, GCA, myositis, steroid timing, or infection-vs-flare uncertainty.
Educational tools only. SIC provides clinician-facing educational consult-triage references. SIC does not diagnose, treat, prevent, cure, or mitigate disease and is not a substitute for clinical judgment, local guidelines, institutional referral pathways, or recommendations from the relevant specialty department. See disclaimer, how SIC works, and inter-specialty communication.