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referral external identifier

ref_ext_id
general
Updated 3/30/2026

Definition

The external system reference id for a provider-to-provider patient direction. Used as a unique reference to identify and track the referral across healthcare systems. This field is commonly used in electronic health records (EHR), healthcare information systems (HIS), and clinical data warehouses for referral management and reporting.

Standard Abbreviation

ref_ext_id

Category

general

Database Usage

-- Example column naming
CREATE TABLE claims (
  claim_id VARCHAR(50),
  ref_ext_id VARCHAR(100),  -- referral external identifier
  ...
);

-- Example in SELECT
SELECT 
  claim_id,
  ref_ext_id as referral_external_identifier
FROM claims;

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