Referrals and orders today often rely on fax, phone calls and manual follow-up – leading to delays, incomplete information and added work for care teams.
Digital Referrals & Orders (DRO) offers a secure, end-to-end digital solution that makes managing referrals and orders more connected, consistent and reliable by:
- Sending referrals and orders electronically - reducing faxing, scanning and follow-up calls.
- Improving completeness and accuracy to support patient safety.
- Providing real-time tracking and status updates.
- Enabling provider-to-provider communication for faster, coordinated care.
DRO is designed to support patients, care teams and health system partners by improving how referrals and orders are managed, coordinated and experienced across BC.
For patients
DRO helps patients stay better informed and connected throughout their care journey. By improving visibility into referral status and enabling more timely communication, DRO supports a more transparent and coordinated experience as patients move between providers, services and care settings.
For care teams
DRO enables providers and clinic staff to send, receive and manage referrals and orders electronically. Standardized digital workflows reduce reliance on fax and paper-based processes, improve information quality and tracking, and help care teams spend less time on administration and more time supporting patients.
For health system partners
DRO creates a common provincial foundation for referrals and orders, supporting greater consistency, interoperability and coordination across health care organizations. The program helps enable more efficient service delivery while providing data and insights to support future planning and system improvement.
Three electronic solutions are available: eReferrals, eOrders and eSubmissions. Ocean is the platform behind the program.
Click the tabs below to learn about the three solutions:
