What a Complete GI Referral Looks Like: Colonoscopy, Gastroscopy, Sigmoidoscopy and FibroScan
Quick answer
A complete GI referral contains everything the gastroenterologist needs to triage and book the right procedure without a follow-up call. The exact list differs by procedure: colonoscopy, gastroscopy (upper endoscopy), flexible sigmoidoscopy and FibroScan each have their own requirements, set by the clinic’s physicians.
Why does completeness matter so much in GI?
GI clinics triage against time targets. The Canadian Association of Gastroenterology’s wait-time consensus recommends endoscopy within 2 months for a positive FIT, iron-deficiency anemia, a change in bowel habits or rectal bleeding, within 2 weeks when malignancy is highly likely, and within 6 months for screening colonoscopy. Ontario Health’s target for colonoscopy after an abnormal FIT is 8 weeks. A referral that is missing a FIT result, a CBC or an anticoagulant list cannot be placed against those targets until someone chases the information.
What does every GI referral need?
Patient name, date of birth and a reliable phone number
OHIP number and version code (Ontario) or Personal Health Number (BC)
Referring provider and contact details
A clear reason for referral and the question for the specialist
Current medications, especially anticoagulants, antiplatelets and diabetes medications
Relevant comorbidities that affect sedation or prep
Colonoscopy referral checklist
Indication: positive FIT, symptoms, surveillance or family history
FIT result and date, if applicable
CBC and ferritin when anemia or bleeding is a concern
Prior colonoscopy date, findings and pathology
Alarm features such as weight loss or rectal bleeding
Family history details for higher-risk screening
Note for Ontario clinics: since July 1, 2026, ColonCancerCheck screens average-risk adults with FIT from age 45, so expect positive FIT referrals for patients in their late forties.
Gastroscopy (upper endoscopy) referral checklist
Symptoms and duration, such as dysphagia, reflux or dyspepsia
Proton pump inhibitor trial and response
CBC if anemia is suspected
Prior endoscopy and pathology, including Barrett’s surveillance history
Alarm features such as dysphagia, vomiting or weight loss
Flexible sigmoidoscopy referral checklist
Bleeding history and pattern
Hemoglobin
Age and risk factors
Whether the referring provider is open to full colonoscopy if your protocol prefers it
FibroScan referral checklist
Liver enzymes
Hepatitis serology where relevant
Abdominal ultrasound report
Alcohol history and metabolic risk factors such as diabetes or obesity
IBD and hepatology consult checklist
Known diagnosis and current treatment
Recent bloodwork and inflammatory markers
Fecal calprotectin where available
Recent imaging or endoscopy reports
How do clinics enforce these checklists?
The most reliable approach is to check every referral against the relevant checklist the moment it arrives, request the specific missing items from the referring office the same day and track the request until it is resolved. Checklists that live only in a binder are applied inconsistently, usually when the clinic is busiest.
What should you measure?
Percentage of referrals complete on arrival, by procedure
Most common missing item per procedure
Days to complete, by procedure
Percentage of procedures meeting CAG or provincial targets
Key takeaways
Each GI procedure needs its own completeness checklist.
Medications, especially anticoagulants, matter for every procedure.
Checking on arrival prevents weeks of phone tag and protects wait-time targets.
Physicians should own and update the checklists.
Frequently asked questions
Should FibroScan referrals go to the same waitlist as scopes?
Usually not. FibroScan is a different resource with different urgency, so most clinics run a separate list.
What if a referral requests the wrong procedure?
The physician reviewing the referral decides. Many clinics redirect, for example from sigmoidoscopy to colonoscopy, according to their protocols.
Do referring physicians need to use our form?
It helps, but you should be able to process any format. Completeness checks work on the content, not the form.
This article is about administrative workflow, not medical advice. In every clinic, physicians own the clinical criteria, urgency rules and triage decisions.
How Ample helps
Ample knows what a complete referral looks like for each GI procedure in your clinic, checks every fax and eReferral on arrival, requests what is missing and keeps separate urgency-sorted waitlists for colonoscopy, gastroscopy, sigmoidoscopy and FibroScan.
Ample is built in Canada for specialty clinics in British Columbia and Ontario. It is PHIPA and PIPA compliant, keeps patient data in Canada, and works with Accuro, OSCAR Pro, PS Suite, Med Access, Juno and virtually any other EMR. More than 100 specialty clinics use it today. Book a 30-minute walkthrough to see it on your own referrals.
