IreferNow
Oxford Epidemiology Services LLC is proud to launch iReferNow™, a mobile phone-based clinical referral management solution that makes clinical referrals easy to initiate, easy to manage, and easy to close.
Managing clinical referrals is an issue worldwide. In the United States, we know that one-third of patients seen every year are in need of care from another clinician1, yet as many as 50% of all clinicians do not know if their patient received the care they need, despite being referred. Close to two-thirds of clinicians are dissatisfied with the referral process, and 70% receive referrals with insufficient information for making sound decisions for patient care2. The consequences of poor referral processes are many. For example, the Joint Commission on Hospital Accreditation found that 4 out of 5 serious medical errors are due to miscommunication during the referral process3. On average, referral leakage can cost health systems up to 65% of its potential revenue4.
In developing countries, the need for referrals is even more apparent, with health systems that often include formal and informal sectors, as well as public and private sectors. No matter the combination, systematic channels for communication to coordinate patient care is non-existent. Results of a recent systematic review of referral systems in Africa and Asia revealed that rates of referrals varied widely, from 3% to 60%5, and among those referred, another study revealed that completion rates were as low as 8.2%6. As such, the quality of millions of lives is affected every year due to poor referral management, and health systems worldwide could realize significantly more cost efficiency and value from current investments (human resources, technology, buildings, etc.) by eliminating lost referrals and maximizing referral completion rates. iReferNow™ is a patent-pending software that ensures that patients are referred to the right healthcare provider, with the right information, at the right time, and that no referral is ever lost. It puts the power to save a life in the palm of your hands.
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- Mehrotra A, Forrest CB, and Lin CY. Dropping the Baton: Specialty Referrals in the United States. Millbank Q 2011 Mar; 89(1): 39-68.2
- Gandhi TK, Sittig, DF, Franklin M, Sussman AJ, Fairchild, DG, and Bates, DW. Communication breakdown in the outpatient referral process. J Gen Intern Med. 2000 Sep; 15(9): 626–631.
- 3. Joint Commission Center for Transforming Healthcare releases Targeted Solutions Tool for hands-off communications. https://www.jointcommission.org/assets/1/6/tst_hoc_persp_08_12.pdf
- Examination of healthcare cost trends and drivers. Massachussetts Office of the Attorney General. https://www.mass.gov/files/documents/2016/08/uy/2011-hcctd-full.pdf
- Kozuki N, Guenther T, Vaz L, Moran A, Soofi SB, Kayemba CN, Peterson SS, Bhutta ZA et al, 2015. A systematic review of community-to-facility neonatal referral completion rates in Africa and Asia. BMJ Public Health 2015, 15:989.
- English L, Miller JS, Mbusa R, Matte M, Kenney J, Bwambale S, Ntaro M, Patel P, Muloto E, and Stone GS. Monitoring iCCM referral systems: Bugoye Integrated Community Case Management Initiative (BIMI) in Uganda. Malaria Journal 2016 15:24
iReferNow™
iRefer AppScreenshot
iReferNow™ is a simple, powerful modern solution to many of the problems that arise when a patient requires care from more than one clinician, and such is the case for HIV. With one click on a smartphone, healthcare providers can refer a patient and be advised when that patient receives the care they need. They are able to share examination and lab results, thus minimizing duplication, improve the quality of care the patient receives, and also save money for the health system and the patient. The referring clinician is notified when the patient arrives, and are advised of any additional care that the patient may require. The referring clinician is also notified when the client does not arrive so that follow up steps can be taken. iReferNow™ makes coordinating care a quantifiable reality, closes the loop while also ensuring the entire process is completely documented.
iReferNow™ is a stand-alone, simple yet elegant solution to a vexing problem. However, it can also be integrated with existing electronic health record platforms and customized to meet the specific needs of the health system. iReferNow™ provides an easy way for clinicians to track the lifecycle of patient care right from their smartphone. Linking clinicians in ways that they have not been able to be linked before, iReferNow™ provides a continuity of care that can save lives, reduce recovery time, increase patient comfort and satisfaction, reduce cost, and improve the quality of life. iReferNow™ removes communication barriers between healthcare providers. Since it is available on smartphones offline with online sync, all clinicians can access this powerful tool anytime, anywhere. The app is available in 12 languages, including English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Urdu, Hindi, Indonesian, Dari, Farsi, Arabic, Haitian Creole, and Malagasy, making it ready to use in a number of countries in Europe, Africa, Asia, Latin America, and other places with fragile health systems. This makes it perfect for NGOs and charities trying to save lives and strengthen health systems in different parts of the world. Additional languages are being added regularly, thus ensuring that the app is usable in the language that health providers work. It is also available offline with online sync.
iReferNow can combine with DatAdventure, our data analytics platform, to produce a customized dashboard with specific indicators of interest. DatAdventure conducts descriptive, comparative, and predictive analyses in real time.
How iReferNow works
- A referring clinician will refer a patient who needs more service that she or he can provide to another health care professional. For example, a general physician or primary care clinician might refer a patient to a specialist.
- The clinician will send the patient’s data: full set of vital signs, documents, medical charts, pictures, or even brief 30 seconds video in order to provide necessary information which will help in making a diagnosis or deciding treatments. The referring person needs to indicate whether the patient needs Urgent Care. Then he must select the name of the healthcare professionals to refer to.
- The healthcare practitioner will inform the referring clinician whether or not he or she will accept the patient, and once the patient arrives, will document what care and treatment was provided
- The referring clinician can check on the status of the referred patient and see if the patient has been seen, and if any follow up is required, thus closing the loop.
Security & Privacy
We take the security and privacy issue very seriously. iReferNow is encrypted end to end with TSL/ SSL from Comodo and meets HIPAA and other privacy criteria for data protection. KEY BENEFITS OF iReferNow – CLOSED-LOOP SECURE MEDICAL REFERRAL FOR HEALTH CARE
Professionals
- Streamline the process of referring, connecting, linking and coordination patient care
- Real-time clinician-to-clinician communication • Electronic capture of reason for referral
- Immediate transfer of referral documents
- The ability of a provider to Accept or Refuse Patient, and communicate this decision in real-time to the referring provider
- Close communication loop by providing referral status tracking and feedback capability
- Availability of an electronic audit trail
For a demo of this innovation, send your request today to info@oxfordepi.com.
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