New digital age for Tasmanian referrals to streamline healthcare communication

Blurry scans, time-draining phone calls, and valuable patient information lost to ‘fax heaven’ – they’re just some of the pitfalls being avoided thanks to a new electronic referral trial project that’s gaining traction in Tasmania. 

Primary Health Tasmania – Tasmania’s PHN – is leading the collaboration with the Tasmanian Department of Health and Tasmanian Health Service, which aims to build an eReferral system for Tasmania. 

Electronic referrals, known as eReferrals, are a way to securely send referral communication between healthcare providers, contributing to more efficient and appropriate patient care.

Since kicking off in April, the Tasmanian eReferral project has seen general practices from across the state send more than 300 eReferrals to participating hospital departments.

The project began with a small group of general practices but is now open to any Tasmanian general practice that would like to trial the tool with participating hospital departments, allied health services and specialists across the state.

This means that once their practice gets on board, GPs will be able to use eReferrals to directly send referrals and communicate with the Royal Hobart Hospital’s cardiology and gastroenterology departments, as well as the Launceston General Hospital renal clinic. 

“The eReferral project began well before the coronavirus pandemic, but I think it’s fair to say that now, more than ever, it’s clear that we need to support Tasmania’s health system to communicate in a fast, accurate, and streamlined way,” Primary Health Tasmania CEO Phil Edmondson said.  

Read our media release here.

Find out more about the eReferral project here.