Patient Referral & Continuity of Care Automation
Referrals between facilities in Ghana happen via phone calls and paper letters. Patients get lost between levels of care. The government's new GHIMS system requires structured digital referral records — and most private facilities are not producing them.
In November 2025, the Ministry of Health directed the nationwide rollout of GHIMS — Ghana Health Information Management System — as the sole authorised platform for patient registration, clinical documentation, insurance verification, billing, and referral management across public health facilities. Private facilities that interface with the public system — whether through referrals, shared NHIA membership, or joint patient management — are being pushed toward the same structured data requirements. The referral letter that used to be handwritten and handed to the patient is no longer sufficient. What the system now demands is a structured digital record: patient ID, clinical history summary, reason for referral, receiving facility, and follow-up protocol. Most private facilities have no automated way to produce this.
How it works today.
A doctor decides a patient needs specialist care or a higher-level facility. The doctor writes a referral letter by hand or dictates it to a secretary who types it. The letter is printed, stamped, and handed to the patient. The patient travels to the referred facility — sometimes days later, sometimes not at all. The referring facility has no way to know whether the patient arrived, what treatment they received, or whether they need a follow-up. The receiving facility has no structured record of what the referring doctor concluded. Both facilities have incomplete patient pictures. Under the new GHIMS regime, this paper trail does not meet reporting requirements and creates gaps in the continuity of care record the Ministry can audit.
How it works after automation.
When a doctor initiates a referral, a structured digital record is automatically generated — patient ID, NHIA membership number, clinical summary, diagnosis codes, reason for referral, and recommended follow-up protocol. The receiving facility receives a digital notification before the patient arrives. When the patient is seen, the outcome is logged and automatically sent back to the referring facility. The referral loop is closed. The clinical picture is complete. The GHIMS-compliant record is produced without any additional admin work.
The automation behind the outcome.
Structured Referral Record Generator
Every referral automatically generates a structured digital record — patient ID, NHIA number, clinical summary, ICD codes, reason for referral, and follow-up instructions. Produced in a GHIMS-compatible format without additional admin work from the referring doctor.
Receiving Facility Notification
The moment a referral is generated, the receiving facility receives a digital notification — patient name, expected arrival window, clinical context, and what to prepare. No more patients arriving unannounced with a paper letter nobody has read.
Outcome Feedback & Loop Closure
When the referred patient is seen and treated, the outcome — diagnosis confirmed, treatment given, follow-up recommended — is sent back to the referring facility automatically. The loop closes. The patient's record is complete. The audit trail is clear.
Are your referrals GHIMS-compliant?
We assess your current referral process and show you what it takes to produce structured digital records that meet Ministry of Health requirements.