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Using digital tools to modernize and transform how care is delivered is key to helping improve access to care and patient and provider satisfaction.
The Nova Scotia eServices Program, formed in the summer of 2024, is serving an important role in these efforts. The program provides dedicated resources to support the effective use and ongoing expansion of electronic referrals (eReferrals). It also ensures alignment between eReferrals and other important initiative, like the One Person One Record (OPOR) project. The program may support the implementation and use of other digital health solutions over time as well.
The eServices Program has eight functions:
The eServices Program team is currently being finalized. Reporting to senior leaders with Nova Scotia Health and IWK Health, our team includes a program director, clinical leaders for key areas of focus (Perioperative Services, Diagnostic Imaging, and Primary Health Care), in-house teams who support planning, onboarding, training and technical requests, and others.
The eServices Program is currently supporting primary care providers, surgeons, and diagnostic imaging teams to use to send and receive eReferrals for surgery, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasound services (US).
The program team will initially focus (2024-2026) on the continued implementation and optimization of these services, with these users, as well as the expansion of the tool to include other Diagnostic Imaging Services and Gastroenterology/ Endoscopy Services.
Opportunities to add other services, specialists, or healthcare providers to the tool will be considered based on readiness, the program’s capacity to support these implementations, OPOR integration and alignment, and steering committee approval.
To learn more about onboarding of additional services or providers to the eReferral tool, please contact the Nova Scotia eServices Program eServices@nshealth.ca and a team member will be in touch.
The eServices Program is forming a new Clinical Advisory Committee to help make the tool and processes as useful as possible to the healthcare providers who use it.
The committee will build on the contributions of primary care, surgeon, diagnostic imaging advisory groups who have been supporting the implementation of eReferrals. These groups have been instrumental in advancing many enhancements to the eReferral tool and form, form development and more.
The new committee will build on the contributions of those current advisory groups, by bringing surgeons, primary care providers, radiologists, service leaders and others together in one forum.
To learn more about participation in the advisory committee, please contact the Nova Scotia eServices Program eServices@nshealth.ca.
Patients referred for services using the eReferrals tool are being surveyed to help understand what the use of electronic referrals has meant to them. The eServices Program will use the insights it gains from the survey to support ongoing efforts to improve the eReferrals process for patients, providers, and the healthcare system.
Patients who provide an email address with their electronic referral can receive automatic email notifications with their referral, including when their referral is sent, an estimated wait time is added and when an appointment is booked or change.
These patients are also being invited to take part in the brief and anonymous on-line survey. Patients receive a link to the survey with appointment notifications for surgeon consult appointments, magnetic resonance imaging exams (MRIs) and ultrasounds.
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