Electronic referrals and data sharing: can it work for health care and social service providers?

The present system for referral of clients, particularly the elderly, to health care and social services providers is often fragmented, slowed by inaccurate or incomplete client information, and therefore less effective and perhaps more costly than it needs to be. A New York demonstration project is currently developing a computer-based information and referral system designed to streamline the referral process, provide client data to multiple agencies with only one admission interview, and offer instant access to selected agency data. Eighteen agencies are involved in the initial 2-year project; others will be invited to join once the system has been refined. Among the issues being addressed as the group creates the Community Information and Referral Access System (CIRAS) are client confidentiality, informed consent, participation guidelines, referral processes, and service definitions.