Electronic system secures Mercy’s outpatient bookings

Mercy University Hospital in Cork has become the first hospital in Ireland to introduce an electronic referral system for GPs referring patients for general outpatient hospital appointments.

The general referral form, which the GPs can use, is suitable for all general hospital outpatient appointments.

In January, a number of Cork-based GPs began to refer electronically into the specialities of cardiology, respiratory, and vascular at MUH. More than 250 electronic referrals had been received by the end of July. It has now been opened to all specialities at MUH and is available to all GPs in the catchment area.

The project has recently been extended to Mallow General Hospital. It is expected that the remaining five pilot site hospitals — Cork University Hospital, South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital, Bantry General Hospital, Kerry General Hospital and Tallaght Hospital — will have electronic referral available by mid-2014.

The purpose of the national electronic general GP referral pilot project is to develop an electronic referral pathway for public outpatient hospital appointments between GPs and seven pilot hospitals.

Healthlink provides a web-based messaging service, which allows the secure transmission of the electronic referral from a GP to the hospital and the GP receives an acknowledgment of receipt of the referral.

Considerable work is underway at pilot site hospitals to centralise and standardise the management of all out-patient department referrals.

This ensures that each electronic general referral results in an electronic response message to the GP within seven days detailing if the patient has been listed for an urgent or a routine appointment, the appointment date if available, or if the appointment is not yet made and details of the waiting list the patient has been placed on.

Tom Molloy, a general practciioner based in Charleville, uses the electronic system, which he said is “straightforward and self-explanatory”.

“There are numerous benefits to be reaped from using the system, including ease of use; the referral is rapid and made during the patient’s consultation; the GPs get an acknowledgment that the referral has been received and is being handled and there is a permanent record made of the referral,” said Dr Molloy