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Just in 2 months period Information Services has managed to build and implement the Electronic Referral Integration Platform, which is part of the National Health Information System (NHIS). More than 9,300 e-referrals have been issued in the first week of the platform launch. Nearly 1,600 general medical practitioners have already managed to issue the document through their software. The system also works successfully with the reference laboratories that have a contract with the National Health Insurance Fund and perform COVID-19 testing. The Electronic referrals submitted by GPs are processed by laboratories and the results are returned in electronic format. The most active in using e-refferal are the general practitioners from Sofia, Plovdiv, Burgas and Varna.
The National Health Information System servers are working normally and no process delays have been registered so far. The medical software developers haven`t reported any technical issues up to now. The Information Services team works 24/7 to support the software companies and to resolve the integration cases, if needed.
The e-referral platform implementation was extremely complicated due to involving many participants of different spheres in the process. It required a high level of cooperation, communication and coordination in a pandemic situation under the strict preventing COVID-19 spread measures. It is important to note that the medical software market is free and more than 50 companies using different technologies operate on it. The Information Services team had to find an individual approach and solution for each and every of them in order to be able to integrate the platform and ensure the proper operation of general practitioners and laboratories.
Thus Information Services managed to successfully complete the process of platform implementation within the deadlines set by the Bulgarian Ministry of Health. In order to bring the e-referrals project to a successful conclusion, the company management reassigned tasks to its experts according to the state's priorities. Meanwhile, Information Services continued working on other projects related to the National Health Information System and health care in general, as well as performing its functions as a National system integrator of the state administration.
By the successful implementation of the E-referral project Information Services significantly supported the Bulgarian authorities in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. This is another step to preserve the health of Bulgarian citizens, general practitioners and first-line doctors. The e-referral project will provide a clearer picture of the overall morbidity in Bulgaria and will support COVID-19 dissemination preventing measures.