CommunicationNCT00129064
Improving the Outpatient Referral Process With Electronic Communications
A study testing Electronic referral system in people with Communication and Interprofessional Relations, run by Brigham and Women's Hospital at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
An electronic referral application will be developed and integrated into the existing outpatient information system. The primary goal of this software is to improve the quality and coordination of patient care by increasing physician-to-physician communication. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Communication, Interprofessional Relations
- What is being tested?
- Electronic referral system
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- How many people
- 200 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- Nov 2005to Mar 2007
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Any referral initiated by a PCP at the study sites for a patient to go to a specialist for the first time
Who cannot join
- Referrals for repeat specialist visits or referrals not initiated by a PCP
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
An electronic referral application will be developed and integrated into the existing outpatient information system. The primary goal of this software is to improve the quality and coordination of patient care by increasing physician-to-physician communication. The investigators anticipate that improved communications will also enhance physician and patient satisfaction and provide cost savings. These outcomes will be formally evaluated following implementation of the application.
Read the detailed description
A trial will be performed to test and quantify the benefits of electronic referrals. Primary care physicians (PCPs) from 2 community-based clinics will be recruited for enrollment. The control group will initiate referrals using the pre-existing paper forms; physician-to-physician communication can occur by e-mail, phone, or mail at the discretion of the referring physician as is currently the standard. Physicians randomized to the intervention arm will be asked to use the electronic application for every referral during the study period. For 6 months, every new referral initiated within the study groups will be assessed for the completeness of patient information and timing of feedback to the referring physician via physician surveys. In addition, a subgroup of patients in the control and intervention arms will be surveyed to assess the impact of the intervention on patient satisfaction with the referral process.
- Conditions
- Communication, Interprofessional Relations
- Being tested
- Electronic referral system
- Keywords
- Referrals, Quality of care, Ambulatory care, Electronic medical record, Referral communication
- Medical subject headings
- Communication
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Electronic referral systemBehavioural
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Percentage of referral requests with complete information
Percentage of referrals with timely information exchanged
Secondary outcomes (2)
Physician satisfaction
Patient satisfaction
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted11 Aug 2005 (estimated)
- Study startNov 2005
- Study completionMar 2007
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for CommunicationStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Brigham and Women's HospitalThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Allocation
- Non-randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 200 participants
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Brigham and Women's Hospital
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- The Commonwealth Fund
- Investigators
- Tejal K Gandhi, MD, Principal investigator, Brigham and Women's Hospital
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT00129064
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 2004-P-000710
- Other IDs
- 20010373
- Status last verified
- Apr 2007
- First submitted
- 9 Aug 2005
- Last updated
- 24 Apr 2007
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 24 Apr 2007. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Improving the Outpatient Referral Process With Electronic Communications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT00129064
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 2004-P-000710
- Conditions
- Communication, Interprofessional Relations
- Keywords
- Referrals, Quality of care, Ambulatory care, Electronic medical record, Referral communication
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 200 participants
- Lead sponsor
- Brigham and Women's HospitalUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- The Commonwealth Fund
- Study start
- Nov 2005
- Study completion
- Mar 2007
- First posted
- 11 Aug 2005 (estimated)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
An electronic referral application will be developed and integrated into the existing outpatient information system. The primary goal of this software is to improve the quality and coordination of patient care by increasing physician-to-physician communication. The investigators anticipate that improved communications will also enhance physician and patient satisfaction and provide cost savings. These outcomes will be formally evaluated following implementation of the application.
Detailed description
A trial will be performed to test and quantify the benefits of electronic referrals. Primary care physicians (PCPs) from 2 community-based clinics will be recruited for enrollment. The control group will initiate referrals using the pre-existing paper forms; physician-to-physician communication can occur by e-mail, phone, or mail at the discretion of the referring physician as is currently the standard. Physicians randomized to the intervention arm will be asked to use the electronic application for every referral during the study period. For 6 months, every new referral initiated within the study groups will be assessed for the completeness of patient information and timing of feedback to the referring physician via physician surveys. In addition, a subgroup of patients in the control and intervention arms will be surveyed to assess the impact of the intervention on patient satisfaction with the referral process.
Study design
- Allocation
- Non-randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Any referral initiated by a PCP at the study sites for a patient to go to a specialist for the first time
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Referrals for repeat specialist visits or referrals not initiated by a PCP
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Electronic referral system | Behavioural | – |
Primary outcome
Percentage of referral requests with complete information
Percentage of referrals with timely information exchanged
2 secondary outcomes
Physician satisfaction
Patient satisfaction
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 24 Apr 2007.
Related trials for Communication
Recruiting
The Periviable GOALS Decision Support Tool
Pregnancy Preterm, Premature Birth
Enrolling by invitation
Impact of a Playful Family Education Strategy With ICT on Childhood Obesity Prevention
Pediatric Obesity, Childhood Obesity
Recruiting
Keep Social Randomized Controlled Trial for Young Adults With Cancer
Cancer
Recruiting
Culturally Targeted Health Communication and Receptivity to the Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Among Parents in Flint, MI
HPV Vaccination
Not yet recruiting
Culturally-Tailored AI Chatbot Simulation for Therapeutic Communication and Empathy in Psychiatric Nursing Students
Therapeutic Communication
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Tejal K Gandhi, MD principal investigator
Brigham and Women's Hospital
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Electronic referral system in people with Communication and Interprofessional Relations, run by Brigham and Women's Hospital at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 24 Apr 2007. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Percentage of referral requests with complete information. The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 24 Apr 2007.