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Major Benefits Of An Electronic Referrals Solution
A clinical referral is mainly a transfer of patient care from one clinician or healthcare service to another, and it is a critical document that enables the communication and collaboration
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Healthcare Business Review | Monday, March 28, 2022
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An e-referrals solution can be integrated with a regional electronic health record (EHR) or Health Information Exchange (HIE) to allow healthcare organizations to reap the benefits of comprehensive access to patient data provided by an EHR.
Fremont, CA: A clinical referral is mainly a transfer of patient care from one clinician or healthcare service to another, and it is a critical document that enables the communication and collaboration required to provide the most appropriate care and treatment to the patient. The goal of clinical referrals is to ensure that patients are referred to the appropriate healthcare service or specialist and that they have the necessary information in a timely manner.
A startling number of healthcare organizations around the world continue to send and receive clinical referrals via fax machines. One of the major issues with a paper-based referrals system is that it is nearly impossible to determine whether or not a referral went missing. There is no way to see how a referral is progressing through the system, and some referrals simply go missing, which clinicians are unaware of unless a patient brings it to their attention.
A missed referral has the potential to endanger a patient's life or delay their access to timely medical care. This can jeopardize their long-term health, often without the patient or family realizing it until it's too late.
An electronic referrals solution provides several important benefits to both clinicians and patients: