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How to design a very user-unfriendly referral system.
A thread, based on a true story of referring to a program outside of my hospital:
(1/n)
A thread, based on a true story of referring to a program outside of my hospital:
(1/n)
All referrals must be via a dedicated portal. Which requires me to manage and maintain a username and password meeting your requirements, find where I put it (I don't refer here often), so I reset the password, log in, then ... (2/n)
Enter patient name and all demographic information (which I have in my EMR, but there is no way to easily transfer that info to you.. so I have to retype it all). Then choose the program I want. Then... (3/n)
... I discover the program requires a full page of additional information consisting of a full history, including some elements I didn't think to ask the patient. (This is why I'm referring .. precisely because this is outside of my area of expertise). (4/n)
And everything is marked as a required field. So I have to call my patient back and get the additional info. (5/n)
Also, they require documentation of a full physical exam, many elements of which I cannot perform since we are generally assessing patients virtually during the pandemic for obvious reasons. Required fields again: will they accept if I write "not available"? (6/n)
It is noted that if I do not fax results of a specific set of lab tests within 7 days, the referral will be rejected. Why is this information hidden in the portal and not easily found on the program's web site? I'm already mostly through creating the referral request by now.(7/n)
My patient will find it difficult to get a lab appointment in their region within 7 days to do tests and get results to me. *Also*, at least one of the required lab tests (AST) is not OHIP-covered in the outpatient setting, meaning the patient must pay out of pocket. (8/n)
And per Choosing Wisely, I'm not convinced AST is needed in this context, anyway. (9/n)
Don't even get me started on the fact that the referral portal requests that I fax over the lab results, yet your fax # is not available in the portal. I have to google that separately. Also, why do we fax again in 2021? The labs will be in OLIS or ConnectingOntario. (10/n)
In conclusion: as a referrer, this referral process was frustrating, time consuming and rigid.
I recognize specialists benefit from MORE information vs LESS with a referral, but...
**There are ways to design a referral process that is efficient and user-friendly**:
(11/n)
I recognize specialists benefit from MORE information vs LESS with a referral, but...
**There are ways to design a referral process that is efficient and user-friendly**:
(11/n)
1) Consider the end-user experience for your process; speak to your referring providers to understand how to make it EASY for them to refer to you, AND easy for them to send you the info you need to triage effectively. (12/n)
2) Make your referral criteria easily accessible on your public web site.
3) Most of us use an EMR. Consider a fillable PDF referral form +/- something we can integrate into our EMR. Don't send a PDF without fillable fields.
No one should be expected to handwrite in 2021!
3) Most of us use an EMR. Consider a fillable PDF referral form +/- something we can integrate into our EMR. Don't send a PDF without fillable fields.
No one should be expected to handwrite in 2021!
