444 words / 1.5 min read

Today, Doctors Manitoba released a major report and recommendations to modernize the referral and consultation system. The report is grounded by feedback from hundreds of physicians and follows our joint summit with CPSM and Shared Health last October. Ultimately, our recommendations are aimed at making improvements for both referring and consulting physicians.

The problem: More than one million referrals and diagnostic imaging requests move through Manitoba’s system every year. Most are faxed or mailed, with no reliable way to confirm receipt or track status. On the sending side, it can be difficult to determine which consultant is the right fit and what information they need. On the receiving end, referrals are sometimes misdirected or are missing needed information. 

• 85% of consultations are still sent by fax or mail. 

• Only 19% of physicians can share information electronically with colleagues. 

• Physicians waste 30 – 40 hours per year each navigating inefficient referral processes — adding up to 100,000+ hours annually.

• Patients feel this too, with unnecessary delays adding to their wait times and having to spend time contacting your offices seeking updates.

🛠️ What’s new: Our report lays out a practical roadmap to modernize referrals and consultations. Key recommendations include: 

• A provincial physician directory to help referring physicians find the right specialist the first time for each patient. 

• Interoperable eReferral tools integrated with EMRs to support closed-loop communication. 

• Clear guidance on when physicians should use emergent, urgent, or routine consultation channels with integration to move requests between them as appropriate. 

• Properly resourced central or pooled intake models, developed with physicians, not imposed on them. 

• Urgent fixes for diagnostic imaging backlogs, alongside a move to digital eRequisitions with closed-loop tracking.
  

President’s Take: ​“As a physician who both sends and receives referrals, I know how frustrating the current process is on both sides,” explained Dr. Nichelle Desilets. ​“The current referral and test ordering process was largely built in a different century, and today that adds hours of inefficiency to our practice. That’s why we’ve developed concrete actions to streamline referrals and consultations so the process can work better for all physicians.” 

Bottom line: Modernizing referrals won’t just reduce paperwork. It will shorten waits, ease burnout, and close gaps where patients are currently at risk of falling through. 

What’s Next: The report has been submitted to the provincial government, Shared Health and CPSM. All these organizations participated in the Summit and we look forward to working with them to make the improvements that physicians, and our patients, can’t wait any longer to see. 

→ Read the full report here.

In response to our advocacy, Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara posted a fun video today demonstrating they have heard physicians and plan to take steps to reduce administrative burdens and finally axe the fax.