Challenge
Effective care management, communication, and collaboration between primary and specialty care providers requires a seamless exchange of high-quality provider data.
However, within the care continuum, provider data has relied on paper-based processes, resulting in longer wait times for patients and frustrations for general practitioners (GPs) trying to connect to the right specialist at the right time. GPs and clinicians depend on provider data— which includes such information as a physician’s name, services, specialty, address, phone number, hours of operation, etc.— for referrals. Provider data helps GPs find healthcare services that deliver targeted care or offer a specialized service.
Annually, Queensland Health receives two million referrals for outpatient services including incomplete referrals, longer waiting times for some specialist outpatients, and some delays in patient care. Referrals sometimes do not include key information or are sent to the wrong location.
To reduce delays and improve access to specialist services, Queensland Health sought to create a single point of reference for healthcare services available for patients requiring a referral to receive care.
Queensland Health needed an automated and centralized system for integrating, managing, and updating provider data across the state.