Purpose
1. Facilitate compliant, swift, and seamless transmission of animal patient medical records to external veterinary specialists upon referral.
2. Ensure communication includes only authorized, relevant portions of the patient file to safeguard privacy.
3. Minimize manual handling and errors, using standardized data formats for interoperability.
4. Enable audit trails and automated notifications confirming sharing actions, maintaining regulatory adherence and record accuracy.
5. Integrate multi-channel dispatch (e.g., email, secure messaging, direct EHR feeds) for recipient preference flexibility.
Trigger Conditions
1. Referral creation in Practice Management System (PMS) or Electronic Health Record (EHR).
2. Selection of “Share records with specialist” checkbox during case intake or discharge process.
3. Physician/subscriber digital signature on outbound referral form.
4. Specialist email or contact entered into a “Referring To” field.
5. Record update or new test result flagged as “urgent” or “requires specialist follow-up.”
Platform variants
1. Epic EHR
- Feature/Setting: “Interoperability API”—configure outbound FHIR DocumentReference POST to external specialist endpoint.
2. eVetPractice
- Feature/Setting: “Third-Party Integration” settings—enable secure PDF export via authenticated SFTP push to specialist folder.
3. Zoho CRM
- Feature/Setting: “Workflow Automation”—trigger email with attachment via Zoho Mail API to specialist address.
4. Salesforce Health Cloud
- Feature/Setting: “Outbound Messaging”—set up PostMessage action for patient records to external system via REST API.
5. Google Workspace
- Feature/Setting: “Drive API”—automate share of patient record folder with specialist’s Google Account, permission: ‘Viewer’.
6. Microsoft 365
- Feature/Setting: “Power Automate”—create flow that sends medical record PDF from SharePoint to Outlook email group for specialist.
7. DocuSign
- Feature/Setting: “Document Transmission Upon Sign”—enable document routing via Envelope API to specialist’s DocuSign inbox.
8. Dropbox Business
- Feature/Setting: “File Requests”—auto-create link for file packet and send to specialist using Notifications API.
9. Slack
- Feature/Setting: “Automation—Workflow Builder”—send direct file or record summary to specialist via Slack Connect.
10. Box
- Feature/Setting: “Box Relay”—automate secure file share and access expiration with invite to specialist via workflows.
11. SendGrid
- Feature/Setting: “Transactional email”—set up email API call to deliver encrypted patient summary directly to specialist address.
12. AWS S3
- Feature/Setting: “Pre-signed URLs”—configure Lambda function to generate time-limited download link and email to specialist.
13. Twilio (SMS)
- Feature/Setting: “Send Media”—trigger MMS containing a secure retrieval link when specialist contact is a verified mobile number.
14. Intercom
- Feature/Setting: “Outbound Messenger API”—auto-issue link to records stored securely, sent via direct Intercom chat to specialist.
15. Medici (Healthcare Communication App)
- Feature/Setting: “Secure Share”—trigger API-supported send to recipient search or invite field in Medici app.
16. Healthie
- Feature/Setting: “Document Share”—invoke direct portal access API for specialist, with read-only scope.
17. Laserfiche
- Feature/Setting: “Records Management Workflow”—auto-send select medical files via role permissioned handoff.
18. Dropbox Sign
- Feature/Setting: “Workflow Send”—dispatch signed record set to specialist using Send API integration.
19. Asana
- Feature/Setting: “Task Automation”—file delivery task marked “complete” automatically shares the linked record with designated external collaborator.
20. ServiceNow
- Feature/Setting: “Flow Designer”—upon referral approval, push case summary to external specialist via HTTP Integration Step.
21. Zapier
- Feature/Setting: “Multi-step Zap”—link PMS event to document upload and sharing workflow with chosen specialist.
22. Freshdesk
- Feature/Setting: “Ticket Workflow Automation”—trigger attachment send when ticket type marked as “specialist referral.”
Benefits
1. Streamlined lawful sharing, reducing referral processing time.
2. Minimizes manual compliance checks; supports audit trails.
3. Reduces email and data handling errors.
4. Enhances collaboration and case continuity.
5. Customizes delivery channel by recipient preference.
6. Supports privacy, restricts scope, limits access time.
7. Reduces operational overhead for veterinary staff.
8. Increases referral satisfaction, supports veterinary network relationship.
Medical Records & Compliance