Scott & White Referral Communication Improvement Project

1. Scott & White Referral Communication Improvement Project

2. Summarizing Our Problems • TOO MUCH PAPER • Fax Volume exceeds technology (“busy”, files too big, refax, machine breaks) • Can’t readily track paper (gets lost, etc.) • Internal communication inefficiencies/processing inefficiencies • External communication inefficiencies/breakdowns • We can’t track effectiveness/speed of referral process

3. Summarizing Our Problems The referring offices say: • You take too long to schedule the appointment • You lose our information too often and ask us to fax again • We don’t know where the referral stands during the process • You don’t notify us about the appointment on a consistent basis

4. Solution • Utilize Physician Relations database solution to automate processes, communicate with outside offices, communicate internally, and organize our work • Capture and store the fax electronically • Portal for outside offices to view status of the referral request • Automatically push information to the specialty desks • Automatically communicate with the outside offices • Partners • SalesForce.com – Database used by Physician Relations Department • KnowledgeBin – Accepts and stores fax documents electronically • Astadia – Consultant working with Scott & White to manage project and customize SalesForce.com

5. Too Much Paper – Solution • Referral information (request form, patient information) is faxed to designated fax numbers (Temple PRN initially). It is not printed on a fax machine, but stored digitally. SalesForce scans the database when a fax arrives and automatically files them with the referring clinic’s “record.” SalesForce users have access to this information. • Fax will never be busy and never run out of paper! • Clinic specialty desks will be provided with KnowledgeBin user licenses to allow them to search for, access, and print (if necessary) these documents.

6. Internal Communication Inefficiencies/ Processing Effectiveness - Solution • PRN will maintain, through SalesForce, the “master log” of referral requests • Each specialty division to provide a mail box to receive communications. • When a referral request comes in to PRN, they will send a link to the fax to the specialty desk inbox. Divisions can click link and log-in through KnowledgeBin to view fax. (Potential future phase - integration with Novell sign-on so login not necessary) • SalesForce will auto-send daily e-mails to divisions with outstanding requests

7. Internal Communication Inefficiencies/ Processing Effectiveness - Solution • Desks can search for fax online by multiple criteria – Patient Name, DOB, referring clinic, referring physician, etc. • Because of NextGen and IDX Centricity workflow functionality, SalesForce will not be a “back end” solution. • Download to occur nightly from MIDAS – Appointments scheduled or revised from the previous day will auto-populate the “referral record.”

8. External Communication Inefficiencies/Breakdowns – Solution • Portal developed for outside clinic • Log-in to view status • Click to request update – auto-e-mail generated • Communication with outside clinic • Auto-confirmation of receipt of fax • Auto communication by e-mail, if requested • Morning summary – Outside clinic receives auto e-mail or fax daily regarding appointments scheduled for their patients. • MIDAS integration = Fewer appointment confirmations that “fall through the cracks.”

9. Can’t track effectiveness/speed of referral process- Solution • Reports to be created to measure the time taken across each stage of the referral. Data can be used for future modifications.

10. More info • Questions: Contact Temple PRN – x 42218 or • Physician Relations – x 48559 • The following slide is a screen shot of what a specialty department will see when it the user clicks on the link sent via e-mail or logs in to view faxes at clinicops.sw.org, clicking on “Practice Portal” Link in the right navigation.

11. Click through the pdf to view, as you normally would Print or save the document here, if necessary. Can search by multiple criteria Results displayed – Click on file name to view fax. A preview of fax is then displayed on the right