Use of an Electronic Referral System to Improve the Outpatient Primary Care–Specialty Care Interface

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Speaker
Susan G. Straus
Behavioral Scientist, RAND and Adjunct Associate Professor, Human-Computer Interaction Institute, Carnegie Mellon University

When
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Where
Newell-Simon Hall 1305 (Michael Mauldin Auditorium)

Video
Video link

Description

Access to medical specialists is a challenge, in particular in resource-constrained settings. The problem is exacerbated by inefficient processes; it is not uncommon for patients to be referred to a specialist without sufficient information about their conditions, prior work-up, or clear questions for the specialty consultant. Such poorly planned and prepared referrals result in wasted or ineffective specialty visits that further worsen access to specialty care and threaten quality of care. To address these challenges, the University of California San Francisco – San Francisco General Hospital, San Francisco’s main safety net provider of specialty care, created a web-based eReferral system to improve the integration of primary care and specialty care through a common interface. In this talk, I will describe the eReferral system, its implementation, and its effects on health care delivery processes and outcomes using quantitative and qualitative data. I also will describe unintended consequences of the system, both positive and negative, for providers and patients.

Speaker's Bio

Susan Straus is a Behavioral Scientist at RAND and Adjunct Associate Professor in the HCII. Dr. Straus’s research addresses the social impacts of information and communication technologies. Specific research interests include applications of information technology in health care settings and adoption and use of collaborative technologies for distributed teams.