Melbourne’s Eastern Health has gone live with two-way messaging for electronic referrals, extending its long-running use of InfoMedix Referral Manager and providing GPs with greater visibility of their patients’ referral status.

The new capability allows referral status updates to be sent electronically back to referring GPs as patients progress through Eastern Health’s referral process, helping close the communication loop between primary care and the health service.

Eastern Health has used InfoMedix Referral Manager since 2008 to support the management and tracking of referrals across its services.

The introduction of two-way messaging builds on that existing workflow by providing GPs with regular updates on the progress of referrals after they have been submitted.

The functionality is expected to reduce the volume of phone calls and enquiries from practices seeking referral updates, while giving GPs greater visibility of where their patients are in the referral journey.

It can also help practices respond to patients seeking updates without needing to contact the health service, reducing administrative effort on both sides and creating a more connected referral experience.

The capability has been delivered through a partnership between InfoMedix and secure messaging provider HealthLink, extending a longstanding relationship between the two digital health companies.

InfoMedix CEO Jeff Smoot said the implementation represented the continued evolution of the company’s relationship with Eastern Health, which now spans almost two decades.

“Eastern Health has been an important InfoMedix customer since 2008, and we place enormous value on the relationship we have built over that time,” Mr Smoot said.

“What is particularly pleasing about this project is that it demonstrates how established digital health platforms can continue to evolve. Referral management isn’t just about getting a referral from one system to another. It’s about creating visibility across the entire journey and making sure the people involved in a patient’s care remain informed.”

HealthLink Managing Director David Young said two-way communication was an important step in improving connectivity between primary and hospital care.

“GPs want confidence that once they have sent a referral, it has been received and is progressing through the health service,” Mr Young said.

“By bringing together HealthLink’s secure messaging capabilities with InfoMedix’s referral management workflow, we can provide information back to the GP as part of that same digital process. It’s about closing the loop and making communication between primary and secondary care simpler and more effective.”

For Eastern Health, the implementation is expected to deliver benefits both for referring practices and the teams responsible for managing referrals internally.

Eastern Health Co-Director, Information & Integrity Program Suzanne Gray said improving visibility for GPs was an important part of creating a better referral experience.

“A significant amount of administrative effort can be generated simply by GPs and patients wanting to understand where a referral is in the process,” Ms Gray said.

“Providing timely electronic updates gives GPs greater visibility and reduces the need for manual follow-up. For our teams, that means less time responding to status enquiries and more time focused on progressing referrals and supporting patients through their care journey.”

Mr Smoot said the project also demonstrated the value of collaboration between health services and their technology partners.

“Projects like this work because of partnership. Eastern Health understands its workflows and the needs of its clinicians and patients, HealthLink brings an established connection into primary care, and InfoMedix provides the referral management platform that brings that process together,” he said.

“After almost 20 years working with Eastern Health, we’re incredibly proud to continue finding new ways to improve the platform and deliver meaningful improvements for the health service, GPs and ultimately patients.”

Disclaimer: HealthLink and Pulse+IT are both part of Lanas.