Healthcare is evolving — and so is the way we connect patients to the care they need. Electronic referral (eReferral) is transforming the referral process by enhancing communication between primary care clinicians and specialists or organizations, enabling quick and secure referrals to be sent and received through an electronic platform.
Through the provincial eReferral Ontario program, clinics have access to a dedicated Deployment Team and support from Change Management Specialists to ensure successful adoption, all at no cost to your clinic. Whether you are just getting started or looking to optimize your workflow, expert support is available every step of the way.
A Proven Solution Across Ontario
eReferral is already making a significant impact across the province:
4,380,983 eReferrals sent across Ontario
2,106,707 eReferrals sent in the West region alone, where eReferral originated
(Data as of January 2026)
Clinicians across Ontario are embracing eReferral — and experiencing measurable improvements in efficiency and communication.
Key Benefits of eReferral
1. Real-Time Referral Tracking
With eReferral in Ocean, you can see real-time updates on the status of your referral. No more wondering whether a fax was received or following up with phone calls — transparency is built directly into your workflow.
2. Improved Patient Communication
With patient consent, automatic email notifications keep patients informed throughout the referral lifecycle. Patients can:
Receive updates when their referral is accepted
Confirm appointments electronically
Stay informed without calling your office
This reduces inbound phone calls and saves valuable staff time.
3. Seamless EMR Integration
eReferral is integrated with commonly used EMR systems, including:
TELUS PSS
Accuro
OSCAR Pro
Referrals can be initiated directly within your existing workflow with no duplicate data entry required.
4. Secure Messaging Within the Referral
Need clarification? Additional documentation? An urgent update?
eReferral enables secure, direct messaging within the referral, making communication faster, clearer, and fully documented in the chart.
5. Standardized Referral Forms
Up-to-date standardized referral forms with mandatory fields ensure referrals are complete and contain all required information, reducing back-and-forth and preventing delays in care.
6. Reduced Administrative Burden
Administrative workload remains one of the biggest pressures in primary care. eReferral helps reduce that burden.
A recent case study conducted by Amplify Care showed that clinicians were sending an average of 22 fax referrals per week. If those referrals were completed using eReferral instead, clinicians could save upwards of 26 minutes per week.
That’s over 22 hours per year… time that can be redirected toward patient care.
“eReferrals make communication between the referring clinician and the referral source much easier. They can add comments or requests which are easier to reply to, and we can further requests (for example, to triage a diagnostic imaging request more urgently based on new clinical symptoms) or add documents requested by them, all directly through the eReferral tool in the chart. This is not only more useful but saves a considerable amount of time by not having to spend time on the phone trying to reach each other.”
Participating Family Physician Read the case study here
Dedicated Support At No Cost
Adopting new technology can feel overwhelming, but you’re not doing it alone.
Through the provincial eReferral Ontario program, clinics receive:
The best way to understand the impact of eReferral is to see it firsthand.
Join our ongoing webinar series to explore how Ocean eReferral works, learn best practices, and see how it can be seamlessly integrated into your workflow.
eReferral is secure, efficient, and already widely adopted across Ontario. With proven time savings, improved communication, and dedicated support available, there has never been a better time to get started.
Make the switch from fax to fast, and experience the difference eReferral can make for your clinic and your patients..
