The interoperable eRequests solution by Genie Solutions, a Magentus company, is going live at Sonic Healthcare’s Sullivan Nicolaides Pathology laboratories, enhancing pathology requests and lab processes through real-time digital tracking.
eRequests is the first Open FHIR API standards solution in Australia, using workflow for diagnostic requests that enables referring specialists to provide labs with all relevant patient information electronically and patients to receive a digital version of their request.
As samples are tested, referring specialists can track the patient’s diagnostic request in practice management software systems Genie/Gentu to see whether the patient has presented to the collection centre.
This provides transparency of status of patient pathology requests directly to the practice and a more collaborative approach.
The interoperable eRequest solution has been developed in partnership between Magentus company Genie Solutions and Sonic Healthcare, one of the world’s largest medical diagnostics companies.
Rolling out across Sonic Healthcare’s Sullivan Nicolaides Pathology laboratories this August, with development also underway with leading healthcare company Healius, the solution is built using a FHIR-based open API for greater interoperability in the increasingly FHIR-rich Australian healthcare landscape.
It has been shared with the HL7 Australia Connectathon community ahead of this week’s Genie Solutions-hosted Connectathon event to ensure it is fit for purpose for the broader industry.
Michele Blanshard, Magentus Practice Management General Manager, said:
“We’re excited to have developed Australia’s first FHIR-based eRequests solution, working with HL7 Australia, Sonic Healthcare and the broader diagnostic community to make sure the build matches the needs of the industry.
“With about 70 per cent market share of Australian specialist doctors, we provide a national opportunity to show the viability of a solution with the potential to underpin future work on defining eRequests standards for both pathology and radiology.
“It has been fantastic working with HL7 Australia, CSIRO, ADHA and DoHAC on standards for eRequest in the pathology and radiology space and we look forward to others embracing the opportunity to develop industry standards that put interoperability at the core of new developments.
“We are now delighted to be extending these partnerships by hosting this week’s national Connectathon, working with HL7 and other key partners on the FHIR-based Draft Implementation Guide.”
Peter Joseph, Sonic Healthcare Global CIO said:
“As a digital-first workflow for diagnostic requests, eRequests helps clinicians provide digital pathology requests to patients, enabling each to be tracked from the moment of creation to the delivery of results.
“The status of tests is also visible from the referring practice, which helps improve transparency between practices and laboratories, for more collaborative relationships.
“This is the perfect example of the kind of solution benefiting specialists and patients alike that can be developed in this interoperability space.”
The two-day HL7 Au FHIR Connectathon is being held August 23 and 24 at Genie Solutions in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane.
Day 1 focused on the new FHIR Accelerator program, funded in the 2023-24 Federal health budget. Presenters from the Australian Department of Health and Aged Care, The Australian Digital Health Agency, CSIRO and HL7 AU provided attendees with information on the FHIR Accelerator including what is happening and the benefits.
Day 2 focused on Tracks, bringing together developers to help advance the implementation of HL7 FHIR in Australia, facilitating open interoperability across health and social care settings.
