A single statewide electronic referral (eReferral) management system is being established across all of SA Health. The Statewide eReferrals Program, being rolled out by Digital Health SA, will enable GPs to digitally send referral forms to outpatient clinics, replacing the use of faxes and letters. eReferrals is being introduced in several phases, with the Women’s and Children’s hospital (WCH) being the first to go live on 13 September 2023.
We’re pleased to share that the Riverland Mallee Coorong Local Health Network (RMCLHN) will be the first regional Local Health Network to gain access to the new statewide eReferrals Program on Wednesday 29 November 2023.
WCH and RMC Only
GP's who send a eReferral from their Practice Management System will receive a status notification from the receiving outpatient clinic at each stage of the referral including Accepted, Declined, More Information Required and Transferred (to another service or LHN). Additionally, the receiving Outpatient service will also be able to send the GP a digital note in regard to the status that may relate to the triage of the patient.
CALHN Only
While the Smart Referral Form for referring to CALHN will be available in the GP Practice Management System, the Statewide Referral Management System will not have been implemented in CALHN. If a GP does send a referral via the Smart Referral Form, it will be managed manually (downloaded and triaged according to current unit processes) until the confirmation of go live at CALHN for the Statewide Referral Management System. CALHN will have a local process in place to ensure any referrals received through this system will be downloaded and managed each workday.
The GP will receive the following message: This referral has been received and will be managed manually as CALHN e-referrals have not yet been implemented. You will be contacted by CALHN as to the triage status of this referral. A go-live date for CALHN will be communicated in February 2024
Clinical Prioritisation Criteria (CPC) – the criteria used to guide referrals – will be incorporated into the Smart Referral Form and will continue to be implemented as new CPC's are published, which will give health professionals consistent and accurate information. Six CPC's will initially be included, including cardiology and neurology, with more to be added as they become available.
The program will standardise how referrals are managed across the state, leading to improved access to quality healthcare for all South Australians.
Chief Digital Health Officer Bret Morris said eReferrals would power access to faster and better care for all South Australians.
“The eReferrals program is an important example of how a connected health care system can create a seamless patient journey through the health network and support a single view of the patient,” Mr Morris said.
For more information visit * Statewide eReferrals | SA Health*
