An evaluation of an eReferral Management & Triage system
Research type
Research Study
Full title
An evaluation of an eReferral Management and Triage System for Oral Surgery Referrals from Primary Care Dentists
IRAS ID
132465
Contact name
Iain Pretty
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Manchester
Research summary
This study aims to assess the impact of the introduction of an electronic referral management and triage system for oral surgery on patients, practitioners and the NHS. A pilot study carried out in Greater Manchester has demonstrated the potential for centralised referral management to improve the quality of referrals and reduce oral surgery waiting lists for acute trusts. However the full impact on costs and quality of care are currently unknown. There is therefore a need to carry out a robust evaluation in order for the NHS to understand the risks and benefits of introducing this type of referral management. NHS Sefton currently has no comprehensive referral management system in place for oral surgery and provides a useful mix of acute trusts: a teaching hospital (University Dental Hospital), a large foundation trust (Aintree Hospital) and a district general (Ormskirk) and therefore will be an ideal site in which to conduct a full and comprehensive evaluation of the impact of introducing a new referral management system over a period of 36 months.
REC name
North of Scotland Research Ethics Committee 1
REC reference
13/NS/0141
Date of REC Opinion
1 Oct 2013
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion