Victorian Statewide Referral Form (VSRF)

 

 

 

Get 2009 VSRF templates here!

 

The revised VSRF is available in MD3. GPV will continue to work with divisions and software vendors to implement the VSRF in common GP clinical software packages.

 

While GPs can continue to use the 2006 version of the VSRF. Consider using the 2009 version of the VSRF for GPs new to the template and use the VSRF+ for referral into Maternity, Urology and Osteoarthritis Hip and Knee specialist clinics (outpatients). More on the content of what has changed in the templates in 2009.

 

DO NOT OPEN THE ELECTRONIC TEMPLATES, OPENING THE TEMPLATE FILES MAY DESTROY THE TEMPLATE FIELDS WITHIN THEM, PLEASE DOWNLOAD AND FOLLOW

 

Software

Guide to how to use 

Download 2009 VSRF

Download 2009 VSRF+ Maternity

Download 2009 VSRF+ Urology 

 Download 2009 VSRF+ Osteoarthritis Hip and Knee
Microsoft Word Open in Microsoft word VSRF VSRF+ Maternity VSRF+ Urology VSRF+ Osteoarthritis Hip and Knee
Medical Director MD3 Guide to how to use VSRF VSRF+ Maternity VSRF+ Urology VSRF+ Osteoarthritis Hip and Knee
VSRF with populated data – open in Microsoft word VSRF+ Maternity with populated data – open in Microsoft word VSRF+ Urology with populated data – open in Microsoft word VSRF+ Osteoarthritis Hip and Knee with populated data – open in Microsoft word

 

 

The older versions of the VSRF templates in other software packages are still available for download, view the 2006 versions of the template here. The 2006 version of the templates will be updated once the 2009 templates become available in all software products.

 

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What’s new in 2009?

 

The VSRF has undergone major review in regards to the ‘look and feel’ of the referral form through 2009 as part of the SCTT 2009 Revision Project and a new visual standard for the referral has been adopted. The changes have been tested by General Practice through the VSRF plus trial and have been recommended for implementation. The only data item change in the VSRF is inclusion of Indigenous status which now appears as part of the Patient/client details, this field is able to be auto-populated in most GP software applications.

 

The VSRF plus templates in Urology, Maternity and Osteoarthritis Hip and Knee are also new in 2009. More on the VSRF plus templates.

 

GPs can continue to use the 2006 version of the VSRF. Consider using the 2009 version of the VSRF for GPs new to the template and use the VSRF+ for referral into hospital Maternity, Urology and Osteoarthritis Hip and Knee specialist clinics (outpatients). The VSRF is also suitable for referrals to hospital specialist clinics (outpatients) where a service specific template does not already exist.

 

 

What is the VSRF?

 

The Victorian Statewide Referral Form (VSRF) is a straightforward, easy to use, electronic referral form for GP referrals to other services. The referral form provides a standardised mechanism for referral from general practice to health providers including hospital specialist clinics (outpatients).

 

GPs are encouraged to use this simple referral form as a replacement for the multitude of service specific referral forms. Testing of the referral form for GPs has shown that the VSRF does not take any more time to generate than traditional referral or letter writer. Many of the fields on the VSRF auto populate providing the referral service with required information that means fewer phone calls back to GP practices. End users comment positively on the legibility of the electronically generated referral.

 

The VSRF is the preferred format for GP referrals to primary care services funded by the Department of Health (DoH, previously DHS). This includes: Community health services, Home & Community Care, Aged Care Assessment and so on. The VSRF is also suitable for referrals to hospital outpatient services where a service specific template does not already exist.

 

The VSRF is supported in statewide policy on e-health and will further develop to meet both clinical and technological requirements. Further the VSRF is informing National work in regards to GP referral and discharge. The aim is to enable GPs to send and receive relevant, agreed demographic and clinical information to services and for this to occur securely and seamlessly from their clinical information system.

 

The VSRF has been developed as part of the broader service coordination and Service Coordination Tool Template continuous improvement work lead by the Department of Health to facilitate and support service to work better together and to undertake the collection and recording of initial contact, initial needs identification, referral and coordinated care planning information in a standardised way. The VSRF is essentially the tool that has been designed as part of this work for General Practitioner use when referring into health services. The Victorian Department of Health and General Practice Victoria promote and support general practice to use the VSRF as a replacement for the multitude of service-specific referral forms. View more information on the SCTT (DoH website).  

 

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What is the VSRF plus?

 

As part of the Department of Health (DoH, previously DHS) outpatients improvement strategy a number of referral templates were developed for high demand hospital clinics; specifically maternity, urology and orthopedics (hip and knee). The maternity and urology templates were developed within Victoria, and the hip and knee was developed as part of a national project. More on the development of the Hip and Knee referral.

 

The templates consist of the VSRF plus a set of clinical data items that outpatient clinicians identified that would enable

  • Improved triage
  • Priotisation of patients
  • Management of patients in outpatients.

 

In 2008 GPV worked with the DoH to pilot the VSRF plus Maternity and the VSRF plus Urology, with GPs and specialist services clinicians. The effectiveness of the VSRF plus is reliant on GP acceptance and use.

 

The pilot aimed to assess the functionality and practicality of using the VSRF plus in the general practice setting and public hospital urology and maternity specialist clinics. With the assistance of the Victorian divisions of general practice, 32 GPs from solo, small, large group practice as well as community health enrolled in the project. GPs were asked to download dummy patient data as well as the templates and generate five referrals in their usual setting.

 

Twenty-one GPs generated the required 5 referrals within the project timeline. As a result 30 Maternity and 50 Urology referrals were triaged by 14 outpatient managers to assess whether the VSRF + assisted in triage and patient management in the outpatient clinic setting. Participants from outpatients and general practice were asked to complete a 12 question survey that explored implementation and maintenance issues.

 

The GPs made recommendations about the order and layout of some data items, and called for more auto-population. The project demonstrated that there is agreement that these templates should be developed further, to support GP referral into public hospital urology and maternity clinics. The resulting templates have responded to the recommendations and are an effective tool for improved information flow between general practice and high demand specialist clinics. The final report on the VSRF+ project is available here.

Hip and Knee Referral

VSRF+ template to support referral to osteoarthritis (OA) hip and knee specialist clinics was developed from the Joint Replacement Waiting List Guide and Referral Form project final report (April 2007) and a national project funded by the Department of Health and Aging (DoHA) and undertaken by the Repatriation General Hospital Adelaide. The OA hip and knee VSRF+ incorporates the clinical referral data items that were validated by these projects, that are required to support a referral to an OA hip and knee specialist clinic. Locally the template has been developed and modified with input from general practice to better reflect current practice in Victorian specialist orthopaedic clinics and General Practitioner needs.

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What information does the VSRF and VSRF+ include?

 

The VSRF is designed to provide high quality information to facilitate referral and triage. The form includes:

 

 The VSRF form includes:

  • Referrer and Referee information (including information necessary for secure electronic referral)
  • Patient Information (basic patient demographic information)
  • Clinical Summary (including progress notes)
  • Medical History (including medication list)

 

The VSRF plus Maternity form includes:

  • The VSRF items plus
  • Medical and obstetric risk factors
  • Pregnancy investigation / clinical checklist

 

 The VSRF plus Urology form includes:

  • The VSRF items plus
  • Investigations and clinical examination checklist for the following:
    • LUTS
    • Haematuria
    • Renal Colic
    • Abnormal PSA
    • Recurrent Urinary Tract
    • Female Incontinence
    • Male Genitalia

 

The VSRF plus Osteoarthritis Hip and Knee Form includes:

  • The VSRF items plus
  • Diagnosis & basis of diagnosis
  • History of conservative management
  • Relevant comorbiditites and risks

 

The VSRF takes no longer to complete than writing a standard referral letter in general practice clinical applications with many of the data items auto populating when the template is opened.  

 

 

Can the VSRF be used in common e-messaging systems?

 

GPV are currently working with vendors of common general practice e-messaging systems to enable the VSRF to be securely transferred. In the interim to find out if VSRF can be used in the GP e-messaging system is to contact the provider directly and ask.  

 

 

Division resources 

 

This draft article is designed for division use in newsletters and communication to practices. Please feel free to adopt or adapt the content to suit your division, and include as authored by your division. 

 

View 2009 VSRF document [DOC 67KB]

 

This simple powerpoint details what the VSRF is and the 2009 components including the VSRF+ elements. It is for Divisions to modify and adapt for their own purposes.

 

View 2009 VSRF powerpoint [PPT 299KB]

 

This powerpoint has a number of screen dumps from Medical Director on the VSRF+ Maternity, it detailing how to use the Maternity VSRF+ and steps through where it can be found in the various menus in Medical Director. It is for Divisions and General Practice Liaison staff to modify and adapt for their own purposes.

 

View Maternity VSRF+ powerpoint [PPT 482KB]

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For further information contact:

Megan Buick Primary Health Care Liaison Consultant | Ph: 03 9341 5206 | Fax: 03 9341 5299 | Email: m.buick@gpv.org.au   

Last updated: Monday, 22 February 2010