ArticleJournal of medical Internet research2020
Improvement of the Efficiency and Completeness of Neuro-Oncology Patient Referrals to a Tertiary Center Through the Implementation of an Electronic Referral System: Retrospective Cohort Study.
Article in Journal of medical Internet research, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- A Bibliometric Analysis and Visualization of Decision Support Systems for Healthcare Referral Strategies.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Pooled it
- Optimizing people's movement across the health system: a scoping review of referral systems within a primary health care approach.Primary health care research & development · 2025Article
- Exploring the care pathway for neurological conditions in a Gauteng rehabilitation hospital, South Africa.African journal of disability · 2025Article
- Designing and describing an electronic referral system to facilitate direct hospital admissions.BMC primary care · 2022Article
- Factors affecting the successful implementation of the referral system: A scoping review.Journal of family medicine and primary care · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundQuality referrals to specialist care are key for prompt, optimal decisions about the management of patients with brain tumors.
objectiveThis study aimed to determine the impact of introducing a Web-based, electronic referral (eReferral) system to a specialized neuro-oncology center, using a service-developed proforma, in terms of waiting times and information completeness.
methodsWe carried out a retrospective cohort study based on the review of medical records of referred adult patients, excluding follow-ups. Primary outcome measures were durations of three key phases within the referral pathway and completion rates of six referral fields.
resultsA total of 248 patients were referred to the specialist center during the study period. Median (IQR) diagnostic imaging to referral intervals were 3 (1-5) days with eReferrals, and 9 (4-19), 19 (14-49), and 8 (4-23) days with paper proforma, paper letter, and internal referrals, respectively (P<.001). Median (IQR) referral to multidisciplinary team decision intervals were 3 (2-7), 2 (1-3), 8 (2-24), and 3 (2-6) days respectively (P=.01). For patients having surgery, median (IQR) diagnostic imaging to surgery intervals were 28 (21-41), 34 (27-51), 104 (69-143), and 32 (15-89) days, respectively (P<.001). Proportions of complete fields differed significantly by referral type in all study fields (all with Ps <.001) except for details of presentation, which were present in all referrals. All study fields were always present in eReferrals, as these are compulsory for referral submission. Depending on the data field, level of completeness in the remaining referral types ranged within 69% (65/94) to 87% (82/94), 15% (3/20) to 65% (13/20), and 22% (8/41) to 63% (26/41) in paper proforma, paper letter, and internal referrals, respectively.
conclusionsAn electronic, Web-based, service-developed specific proforma for neuro-oncology referrals performs significantly better, with shorter waiting times and greater completeness of information than other referral types. A wider application of eReferrals is an important first step to streamlining specialist care pathways and providing excellent care. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): RR2-10.2196/10.2196/15002.
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