Closing the loop with an enhanced referral management system.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of a referral manager tool on primary care practices.

Materials And Methods: We evaluated a referral manager module in a locally developed electronic health record (EHR) that was enhanced to improve the referral management process in primary care practices. Baseline (n = 61) and follow-up (n = 35) provider and staff surveys focused on the ease of performing various steps in the referral process, confidence in completing those steps, and user satisfaction.

Ambulatory surveillance of patients referred for cardiac rehabilitation following cardiac hospitalization: a feasibility study.

Background: Our purpose was to examine the feasibility of implementing an ambulatory surveillance system for monitoring patients referred to cardiac rehabilitation following cardiac hospitalizations.

Methods: This study consists of 1208 consecutive referrals to cardiac rehabilitation between October 2007 and April 2008. Patient attendance at cardiac rehabilitation, waiting times for cardiac rehabilitation, and adverse events while waiting for cardiac rehabilitation were tracked by telephone surveillance by a nurse.