Stefaan Debrauwer*, Onze Lieve Vrouw Hospital Research Center, Aalst, Belgium., Aalst, Belgium Christophe Robert Laurent*, Zorgus, Wilrijk, Belgium Track: Practice Presentation Topic: Participatory health care Presentation Type: Poster presentation Submission Type: Single Presentation Building: LKSC Conference Center Stanford Room: Lower Lobby Date: 2011-09-17 12:30 PM – 01:30 PM Last modified: 2011-08-15

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Background
Often in Emergencies at home, patients in Western Europe are still seen by a Primary Care Physician, Family Physician or General Practitioner. They refer the patient to the Emergency Room (ER) in a number of ways. To date, in Belgium, these often “paper-only” referrals are often inefficient. An easily accessible web form is conceived and implemented so as to change this. We developed a way to increase the efficiency (easier sending as well as easier and more certain receiving) in communicating information from the Primary Care Physician (who refers the patient to the ER) to his colleagues in the ER, and this in what is to be considered “not ideal situations”. Nowadays, referrals to the ER in Belgium are often hand written on all kinds of (traditionally very small) medical stationary paper. Also, in the intricately aberrant processes of the ER, interruptions during doctor-patient interaction, for external communications (phone or odd note), are regularly noted as one of the main concerns of the ER Physicians and nurses towards performance. ER processes (in so far they exist) are often not really structured, and interruptions for ER physicians can sometimes occur several times per treated case. This is, understandably, particularly difficult in short Patient-Physician contacts.
Methods
The referring Primary Care Physician accesses an encrypted web address and page, restricted to health personnel (Family Doctors, Home Care Nurses, Pharmacists) which provides the possibility for easy input of necessary patient data, for referral to the ER. Input of indication, relevant actual patient history as well as recently taken medication has been made easy. A mobile version of the page is also accessible, accessible even with slower mobile data connections for older phones and PDA’s. This way, the Primary Care Physician does not need to rely on a small note or a phone call for referring the patient to the ER. Family Doctors working in their surgery can also enter patient personal ID data from the Belgian ID card of the patient, using a state issued card reader.
Results
The information thus provided by the referring Primary Care Physician to the ER, constitutes valuable data for the nurses and physician(s) on call in the ER. This benefits not only the assessment and treatment of the individual patient concerned, but can also directly influence Triage and the ER Management Process, and thus improve efficacy and safety of triage, the ER Process and ER performance as a whole. The General Practitioners or Family Doctors who now sometimes individually provide ER’s with hand written referral notes or less safe emails containing precious patient information, can this way use a secure and more standardized method, to deliver important information directly to the ER.
Conclusions
The use of this web form increases the efficiency, reliability and accessibility of communication by the Doctor in the field towards her Emergency Room Colleague. There is almost no hardware necessary to realize a significant improvement in medical communication between these different contributors to the care for the acutely ill or wounded patient.