How E-Prescribing and E-Referrals Are Revolutionizing Healthcare

Electronic prescribing (e-prescribing) and electronic referrals (e-referrals) have transformed healthcare by reshaping how providers and patients interact. 

They play a vital role in reducing medication errors by up to 50%. Studies show a notable 28% drop in errors in the first year and an impressive 52% decrease in subsequent years after e-prescribing implementation. By eliminating handwritten prescriptions—known for their potential errors and illegibility—they significantly enhance patient safety.

Not only do these advancements improve patient safety, but they also free up healthcare professionals from cumbersome paperwork. On average, e-prescribing saves 11 minutes per patient, allowing providers to focus more on patient care. Similarly, e-referrals expedite the referral process, reducing turnaround time by an average of 2.5 days based on dedicated studies.

Integrating these technologies into Electronic Health Records (EHRs) marks a crucial shift in healthcare. It empowers providers to deliver more efficient, accurate, and patient-centered care.

This article will provide a comprehensive overview of implementing e-prescribing and e-referrals.

RELATED: E-Prescribing:Top 5 Benefits For Small Practices

What is E-Prescribing?

E-prescribing is the process of sending prescriptions electronically from a healthcare provider’s EHR system to a pharmacy. This can be done through a variety of methods, including direct connections between EHRs and pharmacies, or through the use of e-prescribing intermediaries.

Technical Requirements for E-Prescribing

To implement e-prescribing, your EHR system must meet the following technical requirements:

• Support for the eRx protocol: The eRx protocol is a standard format for exchanging prescription information between EHRs and pharmacies. Your EHR system must support this protocol in order to send prescriptions electronically.
• Integration with PMS: Your EHR system must be able to integrate with the PMS used by your pharmacies. This integration allows for the exchange of prescription information and ensures that prescriptions are processed accurately and efficiently.
• Security: E-prescribing systems must meet strict security standards to protect patient information. This includes measures such as encryption and access controls.

What are E-Referrals?

E-referrals, also known as electronic referrals, are a digital solution that allows healthcare providers to send referrals to other providers electronically through their EHR (electronic health record) systems. This eliminates the need for paper-based referrals, which can be time-consuming, error-prone, and difficult to track. E-referrals offer several benefits over traditional paper-based referrals, including:

• Increased speed and efficiency: E-referrals can be sent and received in a matter of minutes, compared to days or even weeks with paper-based referrals. This can significantly expedite the referral process and ensure that patients receive the care they need promptly.
• Improved accuracy and completeness: E-referral systems typically include standardized fields for capturing patient information, diagnosis codes, and referral details. This helps to ensure that referrals are complete and accurate, reducing the risk of miscommunication and delays in care.
• Enhanced communication and collaboration: E-referral systems often provide secure messaging platforms for providers to communicate with each other regarding patient referrals. This can facilitate better coordination of care and improve patient outcomes.
• Reduced administrative burden: E-referrals eliminate the need for manual data entry and tracking of paper referrals, saving time and resources for healthcare staff.
• Improved patient satisfaction: Patients who experience the efficiency and convenience of e-referrals are generally more satisfied with their healthcare experience.

How E-Referrals Work

The specific process for sending and receiving e-referrals may vary depending on the EHR systems used by the referring and receiving providers. However, the general workflow is as follows:

1. The referring provider enters the patient’s information, diagnosis codes, and referral details into their EHR system.
2. The referring provider selects the receiving provider from a list of available providers or manually enters their contact information.
3. The e-referral is sent electronically to the receiving provider’s EHR system.
4. The receiving provider receives a notification of the e-referral and reviews the patient information and referral details.
5. The receiving provider may contact the referring provider for further clarification or to schedule an appointment for the patient.
6. The receiving provider updates the patient’s record in their EHR system to reflect the referral and any subsequent actions taken.

RELATED: Vozo E-Prescribing for Psychiatry [Top 6 problems & mind-blowing solutions]

Why do healthcare providers need to consider e-referrals and e-prescribing?

E-referrals and e-prescribing are two essential technologies that can help healthcare providers improve patient care, reduce costs, and increase efficiency. These technologies offer a number of benefits, including:

• Improved patient care: E-referrals and e-prescribing can help expedite the referral and prescription process and ensure that patients receive the care they need promptly. This can lead to better outcomes for patients and improved patient satisfaction.
• Reduced costs: E-referrals and e-prescribing can save time and resources for healthcare staff, which can help to reduce administrative costs. Additionally, e-referrals and e-prescribing can help to reduce medication errors and adverse drug events, which can also save money.
• Increased efficiency: E-referrals and e-prescribing streamline the referral and prescription process, making it easier for providers to communicate and coordinate patient care. This can free up time for providers to focus on direct patient care.
• Enhanced communication and collaboration: E-referrals and e-prescribing can facilitate better communication between providers, which can improve patient care and prevent miscommunication.
• Reduced errors: E-referrals and e-prescribing can help to reduce errors in patient information, referral details, and medication dosages.
• Streamlined tracking: E-referrals and e-prescriptions can be tracked electronically, making it easier for providers to monitor the progress of referrals and prescriptions.

E-prescribing and e-referrals can offer a number of benefits to healthcare providers, including improved patient care, reduced costs, and increased efficiency.

By carefully considering the technical requirements and implementation considerations, you can successfully implement these technologies in your EHR system and reap their benefits.

E-prescribing from Vozo

E-prescribing benefits psychiatric patients & caregivers in many ways than the paper-based prescription method. It has started attracting many patients with its easy access, sharing, and maintenance. It will become the easiest hit in the future if psychiatric therapists get to fully know their vast benefits. Caregivers will be satisfied with the easy way of handling prescriptions.

We provide practice opportunities to use Vozo E-prescribing solutions to make the medical life of your patients easier and safer. It will help psychiatric practices create more accurate prescriptions, deliver safe experiences to all patients & reduce costs.

With Vozo Specialty EHR, e-prescribing is securely integrated into specialty practices. Prescriptions can be directly completed from your patient’s chart in a hassle-free manner. Healthcare experts can also easily access patients’ health records & medication details and automate prescription renewal requests all in one place.

“Let’s make the prescription process easier for your patients, together”