Online medical referral system developed locally expands across Ontario

WATERLOO REGION — An online medical referral system developed locally is being duplicated across Ontario.

The province announced recently it was investing $12.9 million over two years to support the expansion of the innovative e-Referral system in the Waterloo Wellington Local Health Integration Network and seven more health networks.

The aim is to reduce wait times by connecting patients to specialists and other health care services in their community faster.

“We’re quite excited about this. There’s been a lot of great work over the past year to get this ready,” said Dr. Mohamed Alarakhia, director of the e-Health Centre of Excellence.

The last year was spent working with orthopedic surgeons, doctors and patients “to really evolve the solution to meet their needs,” he said. “We focus more on the user than the technology.”

The system went live on Monday. For now, the focus is on referrals for orthopedic surgery, chronic disease management and diabetes.

This will replace sending paper referrals to specialists, streamlining the process to reduce delays and, in a couple of months, allow patients to check on the status.

It’s hoped this new system will help reduce the region’s long wait times for hip and knee replacements. All orthopedic surgeons in the area will adopt it, and patients will automatically go to the shortest wait list unless they prefer a specific surgeon. It will also avoid unnecessary testing that can also delay surgery.

“We believe it is going to decrease wait times for patients,” Alarakhia said.

He is pleased that not only does the system meet needs locally, but also for the other health networks that will adopt it. That includes Champlain, South East, Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant, South West, Erie St. Clair, North East, and North West.

Over the coming months, they’ll work to improve the platform.

“It’s not done. We need to continue to evolve the platform and evaluate it,” Alarakhia said.

And they plan to expand it to include diagnostic imaging (CT scan and MRI), mental health and addiction and geriatric services.

“What we’re doing is really setting the foundation,” Alarakhia said.