Virtually everyone knows someone with a story of a faxed referral being lost, a specialist appointment being missed because they weren’t contacted, or someone who’s been left in the dark while waiting far too long for a healthcare referral. We’ve been working hard here at CognisantMD to help change that, and we’re thrilled to say it’s paying off.

The Ontario Health Minister recently made an important announcement about plans to reduce wait times for healthcare services in the province. Building on the efforts of the System Coordinated Access Program in the Waterloo-Wellington Local Health Integration Network (LHIN), the province has committed to funding eReferrals across seven additional LHINs over the next two years. That area represents over half the population of Ontario, and nearly a fifth of the population of Canada. We’re thrilled that the Ocean eReferral Network is a part of that.

This announcement marks a huge turning point for us here at CognisantMD, but much more importantly, it marks the beginning of a transformative change to our healthcare system. By replacing antiquated fax systems and traditional mail, eReferrals can significantly reduce wait times by connecting patients and primary care providers to specialists and other health care services in their community faster.

We still have a long way to go, but we’re extremely excited about this next phase of growth. By designing the Ocean Platform from the ground up to be accessible within the leading EMRs in Canada, we are now delivering even more on our promise to bring advanced tools and technologies to healthcare providers. From better patient care to improved clinician efficiency and system-level improvements, the Ocean eReferral Platform is poised to change our healthcare system for the better.

If you’re interested in learning more, keep your eye on the Ocean eReferral Network website. We’ll also provide updates here as we add new healthcare pathways and LHINs.