A single integrated e-referrals system is now live across Tasmania’s four major hospitals while a similar system is about to be launched across South Australia.
In a media release, Tasmanian Premier and Minister for Health Jeremy Rockliff said the statewide system has reached a milestone of facilitating about 10,000 e-referrals from GPs to public outpatient services, including specialists and private allied health professionals.
Meanwhile, from August this year, a similar e-referrals programme will be launched in phases across South Australia, SA Health announced. It will be initially rolled out in metropolitan hospitals and the Riverland Mallee Coorong Local Health Network.
SA Health’s e-referrals programme will adopt standardised Clinical Prioritisation Criteria, which provide consistent and accurate guidance on the information required in a referral that determines the level of clinical need. Specialty areas, including ENT, cardiology, gastroenterology, orthopaedics, neurology, and vascular, which have had developed CPCs, will be the first to use the e-referrals system.
Both Tasmania and SA e-referrals systems are using the HealthLink platform for secure messaging with GPs and instant notification of the receipt of the referral. SA Health will also use the Salesforce platform.
WHY IT MATTERS
Aside from replacing faxes, emails, printed or scanned written referrals, turning to e-referrals can improve communication among health professionals, reduce wait times, and support the delivery of streamlined care, as is already the case in Tasmania.
SA Health expects its e-referrals programme to also simplify referrals management so GPs will not have to wait for confirmations in hard copy via post, “which often results in delays and multiple referrals.” Its integration with GP medical record software and the use of dynamic forms is seen to “ensure consistency and ease of use with reduced administrative burden for GPs already experiencing increased demand.” It will also have the ability to identify duplicate referrals across LHNs.
THE LARGER CONTEXT
Tasmania’s e-referrals system is part of its 10-year Digital Health Transformation programme, which aims to deliver a statewide, fully-integrated care platform that enables seamless communication and information sharing among health professionals. It is also one of the key projects under ICT and virtual care of its four-year Transforming Outpatient Services Strategy.
Meanwhile, the Department of Health and Aged Care will also be transitioning to the use of e-referrals powered by HealthLink from end-July this year.
ON THE RECORD
“The work being done to standardise referrals to our hospitals and outpatient services will improve communication between GPs and our LHNs and support them to deliver streamlined care. Once fully implemented the program will connect patients to the healthcare pathway that will best meet their care needs,” SA Health Chief Digital Health Officer Bret Morris said about the rollout of their statewide e-referrals programme.
“It will also improve patient safety and outcomes by providing more timely care, higher quality referrals, and more secure transmission of patient information,” Premier Rockliff also commented about their own e-referrals system.