Clinical Referrals

Virtual Cardiology Consult Service: COVID-19 Service Update

The University of Ottawa Heart Institute wants to ensure timely care of your patients during the COVID-19 crisis. We are pleased to offer, effective immediately, virtual cardiology consult service. Until further notice this will supersede the previous referral process.

The Cardiology Referral Clinic is a central point of access for referring patients who do not already have a cardiologist to the University of Ottawa Heart Institute for out-patient consultation. Out-patients may be referred:

  • for a general cardiology consultation.
  • to a specific cardiologist.
  • to one of the specialized cardiac clinics.

To refer a patient use the following form:

Please specify the appropriate available history and investigations before faxing it to the Cardiology Referral Clinic: 613-696-7155.

Notes:

  • Virtual consults will be by video or telephone (patient preference).
  • Some patients will need to be seen in person. They will have an initial virtual consult and then at the cardiologist’s discretion be seen in person.

Adult Congenital Heart Clinic

Referrals are accepted from physician’s offices. Helpful background information includes: patient demographics, medical history and physical examination results, test reports (echocardiogram, CXR, TMT, MUGA, MRI), previous heart catheterization, and/or cardiac surgery reports.

  • Clinic Contact: 613-696-7078

Aortic Clinic

To refer a patient to the Aortic Clinic, please review our referral criteria and submit the referral as outlined on the form:

Arrhythmia Clinic and Electrophysiology

To refer a patient to the Arrhythmia Clinic, please submit the referral as outlined on the form:

Cardiac Amyloidosis Clinic

To refer a patient to the Cardiac Amyloidosis Clinic for suspected or confirmed cardiac amyloid, please submit the referral as outlined on the form. Please complete and include mandatory testing listed in the referral form with your fax. 

Cardiac Supportive and Palliative Care Clinic

The Cardiac Supportive and Palliative Care Program is now live on the Ocean eReferral Network. As eReferral is part of the Ontario eServices Program, it is free for both senders and receivers, and provides a more effective means to submit, process and track referrals over the traditionally paper-based Fax referral process.

If you are already on the Ocean eReferral Network, find us by searching for "UOHI Cardiac" and favourite our site.

Cardiology (Cath/PCI) Referral

Cardiology-Oncology Clinic

The Cardiology-Oncology Clinic is by referral only (pdf) from physicians associated with the Cancer Centre (oncologists, hematologists or cardiologists).

Centre for Valvular Heart Disease

The Centre for Valvular Heart Disease provides a state-of-the-art evaluation of patients with heart valve disease.

Diabetes Clinic

The Diabetes Management Clinic is a collaboration between the Division of Cardiology at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute and the Division of Endocrinology & Metabolism at The Ottawa Hospital.

  • Clinic Contact: 613-696-7000 x13530

Outpatient Referrals

Patients may be seen pre-admission for optimization prior to cardiac surgery if one or more of the following criteria are met:

  • Severe or frequent hypoglycemia (two or more episodes of glucose < 3 or unresponsive to change in therapy)
  • Suboptimal glycemic control (A1C >8% (0.08) or capillary blood glucose > 14) despite changes in treatment
  • Will likely need to start insulin
  • Need further insulin adjustment and teaching

All other diabetes outpatient referrals should be directed to The Ottawa Hospital Endocrine and Diabetes Centre, Riverside Campus.

Heart Function Clinic

The Heart Function Clinic is a specialized outpatient cardiac clinic for the care of patients with heart failure.

  • Clinic Contact: 613-696-7075

Hypertension Clinic

The Hypertension Clinic sees patients requiring diagnosis, treatment and/or management of high blood pressure. Patients with very low blood pressure are also seen at the clinic.

  • Clinic Contact: 613-696-7057

Inherited Arrhythmia Clinic

All new referrals to the Inherited Arrhythmia Clinic will be seen within 8 to12 weeks. Helpful background information includes: patient demographics, medical history/reason for referral, test reports (echo, treadmill, ECGs). Please fax referrals to 613-696-7183.

Lipid Clinic

The Lipid Clinic helps patients manage cholesterol, triglycerides and other cardiac risk factors.

  • Clinic Contact: 613-696-7341

Pulmonary Hypertension Clinic

The Pulmonary Hypertension Clinic brings together cardiologists, respirologists and nurses at the Heart Institute and from The Ottawa Hospital to provide comprehensive patient care.

Sarcoidosis Clinic

  • Please refer to the cardiac sarcoidosis clinical guidelines (pdf)
  • Fax referrals to: 613-696-7123
  • Please ensure that all previous sarcoidosis-related tests and biopsies are included with the referral.

Surgical Referrals

To refer a patient for surgery consideration, complete the Patient Registry Form (pdf) and contact the Regional Cardiac Surgery Coordinator at 613-696-7000 x15444.

Telehealth

Telehealth employs telemedicine, telehome monitoring and interactive voice response technologies to improve access to specialized cardiac care.

Valve Surgery Clinic

To refer a patient, contact the clinic at 613-696-7265 or 613-696-7000 x19032, or by fax at 613-696-7120.