Across the country, health teams are making real progress on digital transformation—and with that, the era of coordinating patient care by fax machines is finally ending. Today, every clinic that moves a referral from paper to a secure digital workflow removes friction for patients and frees up time for staff.

This article brings together what Canadian programs have achieved so far and what that means for clinics considering the switch.

Better referrals with fewer interruptions

Clinics often ask whether eReferral just “moves the work around” without addressing the underlying challenges. Fortunately, the evidence from real-world implementations shows us this is not the case. For example, with mandatory fields on standardized forms referral receivers can ensure the right data is provided at the time of referral—no follow up phone calls needed. Programs report most data fields are completed in over 98% of cases with eReferral, and the share of referrals with unclear reasons drops from 20% to 11% when sent electronically. As referral quality improves, administrative back‑and‑forth falls and providers can remain focused on delivering care for Canadians.

Another common concern is that digital tools might make it easier to send unnecessary referrals and thereby overwhelm receiving providers. Again, programs across the country haven’t seen that. As noted above, eReferral improves appropriateness and reduces the need for downstream follow‑ups.

Shorter waits and more consistent triage

Clearer reasons for referrals with fewer phone calls is just the beginning: Data from Ontario published in February 2024 show how eReferral adoption translates directly to wait-time reductions in key surgical pathways:

For orthopedic referrals:
Switching from faxed referrals to eReferral reduced wait times by ~30 days on average (160 vs 130 days).

For cataract surgery referrals:
Switching from faxed referrals to eReferral reduced wait times by ~14 days on average (150 vs 136 days).

These system‑level gains are already being felt by patients and clinics alike. Plus, where a central intake model is in use such as in Nova Scotia, triage and processing are also faster and more consistent. Canada Health Infoway reports central‑intake eReferrals being processed ~2 to 22 days faster than paper, with eReferrals being reviewed more quickly by specialty services overall.

Higher satisfaction and clearer communication

Patients and providers consistently rate eReferral highly. Across Ontario’s program, patient satisfaction with eReferral is 87%, and the network has now supported more than two million eReferrals—evidence that the workflow can scale without breaking.

Patient‑reported experience measures gathered by Infoway shows most patients feel the process is easy to follow, keeps them informed and helps them get care within a reasonable time. For clinic teams, the combination of fewer status calls, clearer requirements, and automatic notifications is a practical solution to overflowing inboxes.

Patient engagement survey results. Amplify Care, 2024

Capacity gains: Evidence from the east coast

In Nova Scotia, pairing Ocean eReferral with standardized pre‑operative questionnaires and centralized surgical booking demonstrates how these pieces add up at scale:

• The provincial surgical waitlist is down 33% as of April 1, 2025 which is the lowest in a decade.
• The average same‑day cancellation rate dropped from ~11% to 4.5% in the Eastern Zone.
• The share of patients waiting more than a year fell from 23% to 16% across the province.

These are just a sample of the inspiring, system-level benefits that eReferral adoption can enable. For more detailed statistics, see the NS Health links at the end of this article.

Looking ahead

The immediate benefits—cleaner referrals, shorter waits, better communication—are only the start. With standardized data flowing through eReferral, provinces can embed decision support at the point of ordering, trigger eConsult when that’s the better next step, and use analytics to match patients to the fastest suitable option. Those are the ingredients for steady throughput and a better patient experience, whether your team is a small clinic trying to reclaim time or a health system trying to bend the wait‑time curve.

In short: Clinics that adopt eReferral aren’t just making life easier for senders; they’re helping the whole system run more smoothly for the patients who rely on it.

References and further reading

• Canada Health Infoway. The Benefits of the Patient Summary, eReferral, and eConsult. May 2025. Link
• Amplify Care. Patient experience with eReferral in Ontario. Feb 2024. Link
• NS Health. New approach to scheduling surgeries and endoscopies helps reduce wait times and improve patient communication and satisfaction. Dec 2024. Link
• NS Health. Transforming surgical access and care. Accessed Sept 2025. Link
• NS Health. CIHI Report shows encouraging progress in surgical wait times in Nova Scotia. June 2025. Link