insurance

Referral Letter / Shokaijo

紹介状 (shōkaijō)

A referral letter (紹介状, shōkaijō) is a formal document issued by your primary care doctor or local clinic introducing you to a specialist or larger hospital. It contains your medical history, current diagnosis, test results, and the reason for the referral. Presenting a referral letter at a large hospital waives the selected hospital fee and allows smooth information transfer between your doctors.

Obtaining a referral letter from a neighborhood clinic (クリニック) before visiting a large hospital can save you several thousand yen in additional fees and speeds up your appointment.

In 9 languages

Language	Term
English	Referral Letter / Shokaijo
Japanese (日本語)	紹介状
Chinese (中文)	介绍信 / 转诊信
Korean (한국어)	진료 의뢰서
Portuguese	Carta de referência médica
Spanish	Carta de derivación médica
Filipino	Referral letter
Thai	หนังสือส่งตัว
Vietnamese	Thư giới thiệu khám chuyên khoa
Romanization	shōkaijō

Related terms

• Internal Medicine 内科
• Health Insurance Card 健康保険証
• Copayment / Patient Cost-Sharing 自己負担
• Selected Hospital Fee / Initial Consultation Fee 選定療養費
• Outpatient / Outpatient Care 外来

Learn more in the guide:

Read the guide →