Digital pathology requests gain national momentum
Leading diagnostic company Australian Clinical Labs has joined the national rollout of the interoperable eRequests solution by Magentus, expanding its overall coverage to about 90% of Australia’s pathology labs.
The partnership between Magentus and Australian Clinical Labs adds over 1300 new collection centres and 9 million potential testing episodes to the eRequests network, bringing the solution’s reach to nearly nine in every ten testing sites nationwide following rollouts with Sonic Healthcare and Healius.
Medical specialists can now use eRequests to make digital referrals directly to pathology laboratories via the Genie and Gentu practice management platforms.
The completed eRequest sends patients an SMS with testing details and provides labs with all the information they need to process testing and return results. Specialists can easily track testing status and determine whether requests are complete or pending.
In an Australian first, the solution will enable the digital transfer of the patient’s diagnostic request information when they choose any of the providers using the service.
eRequests is Australia’s first Open FHIR API standards solution, aligning with the Department of Health and Aged Care’s long-term goal for eRequesting. The solution underpins important work on standards and collaborations across both pathology and radiology, with two-thirds of Australia’s specialists using Magentus practice management platforms.
Michele Blanshard, CEO of Magentus’s Practice Management division, said:
“The ability to track pathology test requests from creation to result delivery has been a game-changer for patient care. By making test status visible to referring practices, this digital request solution makes patient care more transparent than ever. Australian Clinical Labs plays an important part in Australia’s pathology landscape and this adoption of eRequests is a significant step towards improving patient, specialist, and lab workforce experiences.”
Associate Professor Tony Landgren, Australian Clinical Labs National Medical Director and Chief Pathologist, said:
“With the shift towards a more integrated medical sector, there is an increasing need for digital technologies to support this change – completely digital solutions that are more sympathetic to industry-wide collaboration, as well as more sustainable, paper-free workflows. Clinical Labs is excited to be part of this journey with Magentus.”
