Analysis of time cost for alternatives to enhance efficiency within the medical emergency referral system in Alberta

As the first step of an endeavor to remedy the issue of administrative inefficiency in the emergency referral system of Alberta Health Services, we present a study which analyzes the administrative time cost (excluding patient assessment time) of two alternative processes compared to the current process of referral. One alternative is a label/standardized form process which uses our emergency consultation chit to standardize referral information. The other, an electronic process, utilizes a software prototype we developed on two networked computers using Java and open source libraries. The electronic process is capable of streamlining referral information transfer between organizations in the emergency referral system and interfacing with existing Electronic Medical Record systems. The study results reveal that both alternative processes reduce administrative time cost compared to the current referral process. The electronic process demonstrates a technically feasible and time-cost effective remedy for the issue of administrative inefficiency.