Use Cases
Forwarding Referrals
The Autorouter can forward referrals directly to a directory listing. The steps required are:
- Add target destinations in the Listings tab in the autorouter
- Create a routing rule and enable: “Forward the request to a specific listing”
- Define clear instructions and conditions for routing
This video provides a walkthrough of the forwarding rules user workflow.
Clinical Decision Support (CDS)
The Autorouter can be used for Clinical Decision Support, leveraging the CDS Hooks to provide real-time guidance.
CDS Hooks can be included in an Autorouter rule when the trigger event is “A new eRequest is about to be submitted”.
What It Does
- Validates referrals
- Provides warnings or recommendations
Examples:
- Suggests eConsult instead of referral
- Flags patients who don’t meet criteria
This video provides a walkthrough of the autorouter and CDS Hooks configuration.
Common Use Cases
1. Referral Intake & Triage
Trigger: A new referral is received
Tools/Actions:
- eReferral Analysis: Parse patient demographics, referral reason, urgency.
- Triage & Assignment: Auto-assign to the right central intake hub, specialist, or regional directory listing.
- Messaging: If the referral is incomplete, auto-message the sender for missing information.
- Attachment Analysis: Flag missing or irrelevant attachments for manual review.
Example Use Case: A central intake site automatically routes cardiology referrals to the correct cardiologist based on patient postal code and urgency level.
2. Automated Pathway Decisions
Trigger: Referral is accepted, declined, or completed
Tools/Actions:
- Request Management: Auto-decline referrals that don’t meet program criteria (e.g., wrong specialty).
- Decision Support: Provide guidance (e.g., “This referral should be directed to neurology, not orthopedics”).
- Metadata Updates: Update referral category or add booking instructions.
Example Use Case: A diagnostic imaging site automatically rejects duplicate or misdirected MRI referrals with a note to the referrer about correct submission pathways.
3. Referral Lifecycle Automation
Trigger: Referral is cancelled
Tools/Actions:
- Messaging: Notify the referrer and patient automatically.
- Metadata Updates: Add cancellation reason to referral activity log.
- Triage & Assignment: Redirect the referral if cancellation was due to capacity limits.
Example Use Case: If a clinic cancels a referral due to being at capacity, the autorouter forwards the referral to the next available clinic in the network
4. Referral Validation (Pre-Submission)
Trigger: A referral is about to be submitted
Tools/Actions:
- Decision Support (CDS Hook): Run pre-submission validation checks and provide warnings, errors or advice.
Example Use Case: A screening colonoscopy referral for a patient under 50 prompts a message: “Patient does not meet OHIP criteria for screening.”
Example Use Case: A dermatology referral prompts a message that recommends an eConsult instead of a full referral where clinically appropriate.
Summary
The Autorouter helps healthcare organizations:
- Reduce manual intake work
- Improve referral accuracy
- Accelerate patient access to care
- Automate communication and decision-making
By combining rules-based automation + AI + integrations, it enables scalable and consistent referral management.