Electronic Triage: The Pot of Gold at the End of the Referral Rainbow

In March 2009 NDHB introduced an electronic referral (eReferral) platform for transmission of referrals to the hospital for use by Primary Care providers. In May 2012 we introduced electronic triage (eTriage) which supported web based referral triage with instant messaging back to the referrer into their electronic workflow. This delivered the expected benefits of improved communication to the referrer and a more secure, tracked and standard process. However it delivered significant additional unanticipated benefits that included: Provision of significantly more non contact outcomes for referrals Significantly reduced turn around times for referrals, often within 24 hours Provision of a rudimentary form of shared care across Northland by enabling ready access to specialist advice. We have found that eTriage is the component of a referral management system that delivers the most value. We recommend that this be a major focus for District Health Boards when developing referral pathways