VA to Offer Routine Eye and Ear Appointments Without Primary Referral

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VA to Offer Routine Eye and Ear Appointments Without Primary Referral

Veterans receiving care at VA Medical Centers will now be able to schedule routine ear and eye appointments at local VA Audiology and Optometry clinics without a primary care referral.

Before now, veterans seeking appointments with audiologists or optometrists had to first make an appointment with a primary care physician for a referral for a routine clinic consult visit.  A clinic representative would contact the patient to set up the consult appointment, which could result in a several weeks’-long lag between the appointment and when the veteran was actually seen.

The new process, the Audiology and Optometry Direct Scheduling Initiative, which began as a successful pilot at three sites in 2015, is being expanded to all VA Medical Centers.

The Audiology and Optometry Direct Scheduling Initiative is expected to be fully operational within all VA Medical Centers by the end of 2016.