Refer a Patient

How to Refer a Patient

If you are unsure about whether to refer your patient, please call our Clinical Intake Nurses at 206-987-2080, option 1.

Appointment availability

Updated November 2023.

Referral requirements

We see patients age 8-21 for the following conditions: tension, migraine, and post-concussion headaches, borderline high blood pressure (hypertension), recurrent vomiting or rumination and recurrent or chronic abdominal pain.

Referral should be initiated after neurology, gastroenterology, or rheumatology consultation or, in those with headaches, after normal brain imaging studies have been documented. Brain imaging studies and/or specialist appointment should have been completed within the last year. Any diagnostic tests completed within the last year including ultrasounds, x-rays, or other tests related to the relevant diagnosis should also be included with the referral.

Please submit a referral that is complete. This helps us schedule your patient’s appointment in a timely manner and ensure their first visit is smooth and productive.    

We may not schedule patients until a complete referral is received.

Please include:

• Brain imaging studies (if applicable) from within the last year
• Diagnostic tests completed within the last year including ultrasounds, x-rays, or other tests related to the relevant diagnosis.
• Chart notes from any specialist workup (neurology, gastroenterology, etc.)
• Service/specialty clinic requested
• Reason for referral: what is the clinical question for the specialist?
• ICD-10 Diagnosis – required
• Visit type:
  • New patient consult, transfer of care, second opinion, or return visit/ongoing care
• ALL relevant clinical documents
  • Clinic notes
  • Medication history
  • Growth charts/curves
  • Lab reports
  • Imaging and diagnostic reports
  • Previous specialty evaluations
• Patient’s full name, pronouns, DOB, sex, address, guardian contact information and insurance
• Referring provider’s name, phone, fax and the referral coordinator’s email address so that we may contact you if additional information is needed
• Preferred clinic location
• If an interpreter is needed
• Any known barriers to performing a successful telehealth (video) visit with the family

Please note:

• Biofeedback is an educational process we teach our patients to use to help them reduce the frequency and intensity of pain. Learn more about our service in our biofeedback videos.
  • We help patients learn to manage the chronic pain that they are experiencing.
  • We are not a diagnostic service. We do not investigate the source of the patient’s pain; rather, we trust that referring providers have already done this.
• When a patient is in pain for a known condition, we co-manage them with their other specialists and/or PCP.
• If you are referring your patient for headaches and they have not yet had head imaging, we will request it unless the patient has already been seen by a neurologist.

• Meet the Biofeedback team.

We see patients in Seattle at our Springbrook Professional Center next to the hospital, at Seattle Children's Everett and at our Bellevue Clinic and Surgery Center. See our locations.

What Your Patients Can Expect

• Once we receive your referral, your patient will be in our queue to review and schedule. Wait times for referral processing are currently 2 to 3 months.
• Families may call 206-987-2028 to ask to be added to a cancellation list. We review openings and the patient referral queue daily. As openings become available, we call families to schedule based on provider availability and the patient’s condition and acuity.
• First appointments usually involve meeting more than 1 provider; families should plan for their appointment to last at least 2 hours.
• Biofeedback treatment is typically a 9-week appointment series with weekly visits. Best results are obtained when the patient is able to attend each week.

Resources and research for families

Visit our Resources for Patients and Families page for information about biofeedback therapy, coping tools, guided imagery and other resources to support patients in pain.    

Resources for Providers

To learn more about biofeedback therapy at Seattle Children’s, watch the 4-minute video featuring Dr. Seth Enos on our Resources for Patients and Families page. This and other resources on the page are ideal for sharing with patients and families.

To suggest additional resources from Seattle Children’s that would be useful to primary care providers, please email us. If you need assistance with finding a biofeedback therapist in your area, please review the Biofeedback Certification International Alliance (BCIA) website.