Electronic referral system benefiting dermatology patients

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Referrals are being much more quickly assessed and more patients who need specialist care are being seen since the Christchurch/West Coast Dermatology Department began electronic triage.

The department began electronically triaging all ERMS referrals in mid-2018. ERMS is an electronic system used for making referrals.

This has proved to be an easy change, bringing greater efficiency and an ability to ensure the right patient is getting the right care at the right time, says consultant dermatologist Caroline Mahon.

“I enjoy being able to rapidly assess urgent referrals for rashes and skin lesions and provide timely practical feedback and support to GPs.”

Turnaround times for providing diagnostic help or management advice to general practice teams and their patients have significantly reduced, compared to paper referrals requiring dictation, typing, letter review and then posting to the general practice.

“E-triage is so much more resource efficient for both our department and primary care, because it is now easier to deliver advice to referrers, and clinicians can see more patients who have a greater need for an in-clinic review.”

West Coast District Health Board booking co-ordinator Rachael Shields agrees and describes e-triage as “awesome”.

“It makes the process much quicker than if the referrals come through by paper and the communication to the GPs is a lot clearer and goes to them directly.”

Clinical nurse specialist in dermatology Tracy Fenton says she likes that e-triage has diminished the burden of paperwork, saved costs and reduced the risk of mislaying documents.

“It also allows for improved communication about referrals between the clinicians within our service, such as between doctor and nurse-led services.”

This helps direct the patient to the appropriately skilled health professional within the department. In addition, digitising the process has ensured that the appropriate people can more readily see where referrals are at and what their outcomes are, she says.

Dermatology is receiving an increased number of referrals that are supported by high quality clinical photographs.

General practitioner Miriam Martin, from Village Health Lincoln Road, says providing good pictures is helping her patients benefit from the e-triage system.

“Our patients are able to be quickly started on appropriate treatment for their skin conditions and may not need to be seen in an outpatient clinic.”

Previously, a patient might have been started on less effective treatments and be waiting months for a specialist outpatient appointment. E-triage is saving patient and doctor time, as well as costs.

“It also reflects well on all of us because it shows the patient that the system is working efficiently for them,” she says.

Source: Canterbury District Health Board CEO Update, 6 May 2019

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