Referral system automates outpatients and radiography for Chester
trust
The Countess of Chester NHS Foundation Trust has launched a patient
referral system designed by Cheshire-based clinical correspondence
specialists, Medisec.
The system allows GPs to make fast, secure electronic referrals for
outpatients and radiology; referrals are transmitted straight from the
GP’s practice to the relevant hospital and individual cases can then be
monitored.
Tom Rothwell, Managing Director, Medisec, explains: "All major practice
systems integrate with Word in generating referrals from predefined
templates. We’ve installed a software routine at the surgery that implants
a command button in the Word application."
Once users press the command button, the routine performs a series of
functions, including:
- analysis of the referral Word document to determine all mandated
data items, plus providing a data-capture template for the surgery user
to enter any additional data items essential to the hospital referral.
The extracted data is held as an XML file and linked to the referral;
- allows the surgery user to identify which hospital department the
referral is going to;
- electronically posts the referral to the hospital via the MedisecNET
website;
- acknowledges receipt by the hospital of the referral, and,
- allows the users to send referrals to the hospital prior to GP
sign-off (sign-off can be achieved after delivery to the hospital, via
the website). Unsigned referrals are highlighted within the process so
all users are aware of their status.
Rothwell adds: "The MedisecNET website essentially provides a means of
communication for both clinical correspondence and patient data between
primary and secondary care. Forty-three practices around the Countess of
Chester are connected to the website. Referrals are automatically
registered on it and all relevant users in the hospital are able to
identify, via their desktops, incoming and ongoing referrals.
"When a referral is received at the hospital, the Master Patient Index
is automatically searched for matching patient in order that the referral
can be linked to the appropriate record."
Additionally, scripting technology has been used to automate the
importing of the referral data into the hospital PAS.
Following a series of successful trials, the trust has linked up 33
surgeries across Cheshire, Flintshire and the Wirral with over 2,600
electronic referrals now being made every month — more than a quarter of
all the referrals received by the Trust.
24 October 2005
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