Referrals Proforma to EPU/UGCC Department –An Audit

Introduction

In EPU/UGCC Department in Frimley Park Hospital, follow-up patients seen in the ED are referred for a scan on a daily basis. Referral of new patients requires a doctor to use the Referral proforma issued by the Department. The referral proforma of patients referred to the EPU/UGCC is given a date by the nurse in EPU/UGCC. Adequate information on the referral proforma is needed to ascertain the degree of urgency for an appointment.

Aims

This audit aimed to examine the quality and content of new referral proforma. The objective is to detect and treat acutely ill patients as early as possible, based on the proforma documentation and to reduce unnecessary referrals.

Materials & Methods

A retrospective collection of referral forms from 16th September to 3rd October 2022 was undertaken, and the remaining referral proforma (n=150) were gathered over a period of four months. In order to assess the referral, prior established departmental standards were compared to those of the referral. Graphs were generated to illustrate the results based on the data that was entered into an Excel spreadsheet.

Results

Upon analysis of the data collected, ninety-nine (60.67%) cases were classified as early pregnancy cases and fifty-one (34.4%) as urgent gynaecology cases. According to the audit, there are gaps in the information provided by referral sources, with sixty-seven sources (45%) providing complete information. Comparatively, 83 (55%) of the referrals were incomplete, which was deemed a poor-quality referral.

Conclusion

In our unit, patients are seen within 24hrs but Performa is helpful in making a decision to scan based on the patient's history and examination. Due to an uncontrolled workload with limited resources, it was necessary to triage our referrals for scanning. This Performa has fulfilled these criteria. In order to facilitate communication between departments, the referral proforma is an effective tool. In addition, the scanning process has become more organized with the implementation of this updated proforma system, and more slots have become available for acutely ill patients. However, previous records were not available for comparison. They noted, however, that when they surveyed the staff member, there was a distinct change in the conditions and a more significant level of control over setting up appointments. Achieving improved data quality on the Referral proforma will enhance communication between the referring healthcare professional and the receiving healthcare professional.