While many specialists and healthcare services across Canada are already familiar with the benefits of Ocean eReferrals, there are opportunities to go even further with tools that improve practice efficiency. Beyond eReferrals, patient engagement tools like online booking, automated reminders, and digital intake forms can help specialists reduce administrative burden, improve patient satisfaction, and optimize clinic operations.
In this post, we’ll explore how eReferral receivers can use these tools to enhance workflows and create a more seamless patient experience!
Add online booking
Access to specialists is often gated by a referral, so patients can’t book until the referral is accepted and someone from the clinic reaches out. However, between manually scheduling appointments and fielding calls, managing a high volume of appointments can be a logistical challenge.
By using a solution that supports specialized workflows, patients can book directly into your schedule within the parameters you set. For example, Dr. A.D. sees patients for both consultations and follow-ups. By using Ocean’s alternate configurations, they’ve created separate booking links, allowing:
- Patients to only book if they have the link
- Restrictions to specific appointment types for each link
- Seamless alignment with EMR appointment blocks
Create custom reminders
It can be frustrating when a patient isn’t prepared for their appointment – or worse, forgets to show up entirely. Given that specialist appointments are often booked months in advance, it’s no surprise some patients struggle with remembering appointments and being fully prepared.
Patient reminders, sent via email and/or text, are a low-cost, high-value tool to help patients remember their appointments. Even better, if the reminder includes appointment details, clinic contact information and visit instructions, patients have everything they need in writing, even if they’re booked for the initial consultation via a manual phone call.
Bonus tip: For the best confirmation rates, we recommend sending reminders and forms two days before the appointment. Tack on text reminders and your rates increase by 10%! For more best practices on reminders, check out our article on making the most of your automated reminders.
This clinic’s reminder features their contact information and lots of great links to helpful resources. You can create a message like this using the Template Manager.
Bonus: Use reminders to collect feedback
Ocean can also be used to schedule post-appointment reminders, which can be valuable for collecting feedback through surveys, patient-reported experience measures (PREMs), or patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). These are scheduled based on the original appointment date, eliminating the need for manual sending.
This is an example of a form in the Ocean Library for collecting knee brace PROMs.
Optimize with intake forms
Specialist visits require detailed patient information, including records of tests, symptoms, and medical histories. While eReferrals facilitate clinical decision support and appropriateness, additional information upfront helps tailor the initial consultation. Digital intake forms provide a solution here!
Digital intake forms allow patients to submit detailed information in advance of the visit and at their convenience, helping recall more accurate information and ensuring specialists have all they need before even walking through the door.
By completing intake ahead of time, clinics experience huge time-savings in the clinic and reduced data entry. This can include demographic review, consent forms, medical history, and so much more.
The Kingston Orthopaedic Pain Institute (KOPI) sends a set of forms ahead of any ketamine consult as part of an automated reminder workflow, but these can just as easily be sent as a secure message or made available in a self-serve format which requires no staff intervention, if the patient has the link.
Simplify with kiosks and tablets
Check-in kiosks and patient tablets offer an easy, efficient way to collect essential information at the point of care. If a patient hasn’t completed a form or questionnaire that was sent ahead of their appointment, tablets can be used to finish the form in the waiting room or exam room instead of on paper and clipboard. This ensures you have the most complete, up-to-date information right in the patient chart before the consultation even begins.
In addition to completing intake forms, patients can use the kiosks and tablets to review and update demographic information, provide consent, and more, which reduces data discrepancies and keeps your records up to date. With a sleek and modern design, these devices can add a professional touch to any waiting room, providing a smooth and intuitive experience for patients.
For specialists already using eReferrals, incorporating online booking, automated reminders, digital tablets, or even just digital intake forms can streamline your workflows and increase overall efficiency.
