Cegedim Rx has launched an electronic referral solution for the optometry market with the potential to streamline the processing of over 1 million referrals from primary to secondary care in the ophthalmology market.
Healthi Services has been developed by Cegedim Rx, part of the Cegedim UK group which brings together solutions across General Practice, Pharmacy, Community Care and Optometry to integrate and streamline clinical data flow. Launched in partnership with the Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership (GMH & SCP) and Greater Manchester Confederation of Local Optical Committees (GM LOCS) this initiative will see over 300 optical practices adopt Healthi Services as part of a programme which aims to improve the quality of referrals, reduce the time to process referrals and remove unnecessary work for GPs.
The launch marks the first phase of the project which will see all referrals captured using the Healthi Services portal eradicating slow, hand-written paper based processes. Healthi Services captures patient details including demographics, patient history and any clinical examinations or investigations. This allows all of the data relevant to the referral to be shared with any clinical teams to which the patient has been referred from a single, centrally held record.
Following on from this first phase Cegedim Rx is working to integrate NHS demographics and the NHS eReferral Service in order to optimise and improve the experience of patients and clinicians.
Trevor Warburton, Chair of the Confederation of Greater Manchester Local Optical Committee, comments, “We are delighted that this joint development between GM LOCs, GMH & SCP and Cegedim Rx has now come to fruition. By making all referrals from optical practices electronic, it will allow the elimination of fax machines within ophthalmology in Greater Manchester, thus meeting one of the aspirations of the NHS in the move to paperless systems. It also aids practices in ensuring referrals get to the right place first time, regardless of locality.
Gian Celino, Product Director, Cegedim Rx, adds, “This is a really exciting step in joined up healthcare. Patients want their referrals to be quick and easy so that they can get the right care fast. We’re looking forward to receiving further feedback on this new workflow from the Greater Manchester Optical Committee so that we can continue to improve the patient journey and work together to lead the way in integrated healthcare.”