Glossary
Referral
A formal request from a doctor, teacher or other professional asking an OT to assess or treat someone.
A referral is a formal note from a doctor, paediatrician, teacher, school counsellor, or other allied health professional asking an OT to see a specific person. In Malaysian government hospitals and most panel clinics, a doctor's referral is required before OT services are funded. Private OT clinics generally accept self-referral — a parent can book directly after noticing a concern — though insurance claims, SOCSO claims, and school-based OT usually still need a written referral. A good referral states the concern in functional terms: "child struggles with handwriting and avoids colouring" is more useful than "fine motor delay."