Referral Faxes and SimplePractice or TherapyNotes: Getting Referrals Into Your EHR
SimplePractice and TherapyNotes run the clinical record, the calendar, and billing. Neither documents a built-in fax inbox, so referral faxes arrive somewhere else, usually an eFax account, and someone has to carry each one into the EHR.
Short answer
We found no built-in fax inbox in SimplePractice's or TherapyNotes' documentation as of November 2026, so practices receive referrals through a separate e-fax service, then download each PDF, create the client, upload the document, and call the patient. Stable automates that path: it reads the fax, checks your acceptance rules, creates the record in SimplePractice, TherapyNotes, and other supported EHRs, and texts the patient to book.
The manual path
- 1. The fax lands in eFax or a shared email inbox.
- 2. Someone reads it, when they have time, and decides whether the practice can take it.
- 3. They create the client in SimplePractice or TherapyNotes and upload the PDF.
- 4. They call the patient, usually between sessions, and leave a voicemail.
- 5. The patient calls back when nobody can answer.
Where referrals get lost
Between steps 1 and 2, when the inbox is busy; at step 4, when phone tag starts; and at step 5, when the callback reaches voicemail. See referral phone tag.
The automated path
| Step | Manual | With Stable |
|---|---|---|
| Read the fax | When someone has time | On arrival |
| Decide whether to accept | From memory | Against your written rules; unclear cases to a person |
| Create the EHR record | Typed by staff | Created in SimplePractice, TherapyNotes, or another supported EHR |
| Reach the patient | Phone tag | Text the same day; insurance card collected |
| Patient calls back | Voicemail | The AI receptionist already has the referral |
More: fax referral intake, AI receptionist for SimplePractice, and for TherapyNotes.
Frequently asked questions
Can SimplePractice receive faxes?
We found no built-in fax inbox in SimplePractice's documentation as of November 2026. Practices use a separate e-fax service and upload referrals to the client record.
Does TherapyNotes have fax?
We found no built-in fax inbox in TherapyNotes' documentation as of November 2026. Confirm with TherapyNotes.
How do I get referral faxes into SimplePractice automatically?
Stable reads each referral fax and creates the record in SimplePractice, then texts the patient to book.
From fax to EHR without retyping.
See Stable turn a referral fax into a SimplePractice or TherapyNotes record and a booked patient.
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