Bromley GPs redesign e-referral letters

Bromley GPs have designed new templates for electronic referrals because of concerns about inappropriate patient information being included by “default”.

The latest Bromley Local Medical Committee newsletter says Dr Mark Essop and Dr Hasib Rub have been working on a solution to the “problem of inappropriate information being sent inadvertently when using computer-generated referral letters."

It uses the example of a parasuicide or abortion "from 30 years ago" being included in a referral for a frozen shoulder.

Bromley LMC secretary Dr James Heathcote said the example was hypothetical. No cases had come to light in which inappropriate information had been sent, but the LMC wanted to be proactive in preventing any “disasters."

In the past, referral letters had to be dictated and typed creating an automatic filter on what was included, he said.

Computers had made the transfer of information “all too easy” and local clinical leaders wanted to reduce the risk of inappropriate patient details being inadvertently shared by GPs.

“It’s very tempting to think lots of information is a good thing, but it depends on what that information is,” explained Dr Heathcote.

The newsletter says that most practices find it easier to delete surplus information  than to add relevant data to referral templates.

Dr Heathcote said area’s emerging clinical commissioning group was going to offer two templates to GPs.

One will include significant active problems and past history and another will include basic patient information, to which the GP can add additional data. Practices will also have the option to delete fields from templates.

“Those who prefer to edit out can do so and those who would prefer to add in can also do so,” he said.

“The message for both is that you cannot just let the computer or your secretary do this for you.”

Dr Heathcote said the issue was particularly important when considering the wide range of organisations GPs were referring to, some of which were not part of the NHS.

He added that all but three practices in the local area used EMIS clinical systems, but said the inclusion of inappropriate information in referrals would affect practices using any system.