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What is the Electronic Service Coordination System?

 
The Inner East Primary Care Partnership, in conjunction with the Outer East Primary Care Partnership, has developed an electronic referral system for use by member agencies. The system is designed to support Service Coordination referral protocols and feedback loops to practitioners. The system, which is web-based, is known as the Electronic Service Coordination System (E-SCS) to reflect the fact that it is very firmly based on Service Coordination principles and, as such, offers a great deal more than a simple messaging system. You may also see the system referred to as s2s, which is the tradename used by Infoxchange, the system developer or the generic term e-referral.
 
E-SCS is becoming the primary means of making inter-agency and inter-sector referrals in order to provide: 
  • The right information
  • To the right people
  • For the right reason
  • In the right way
  • At the right time
  • In order to produce better outcomes for clients.
Currently E-SCS is limited to the Eastern Metropolitan System although essentially the same system has been adopted for use by other regions in Victoria. As at July 2009 there were more than seventy agencies within the Eastern Metropolitan Region registered to use E-SCS. It is hoped in the near future to implement the system Statewide.
Agencies within the IEPCP catchment area (the cities of Manningham, Whitehorse, Monash and Boroondara) are encouraged to consider their involvement in the electronic referral system as the most secure means of making referrals while allowing the greatest access to information about the services consumers have been receiving.
It is a very secure system and all agencies and users must be registered. Access to the system is thus only via a user name and password and all participating agencies must go through an engagement process.
Agencies wishing to participate should inquire through the Inner East Primary Care Partnership.
If your organisation is interested in participating in the Electronic Service Coordination System or you require more information, please contact christopher.foley-jones@iepcp.org.au . For technical issues, please contact vivianbl@megalink.com.au.
 
Registration
In order to use the Electronic Service Coordination System, the following steps must be followed:
 
  1. Agencies undergo an engagement procedure through the Inner East PCP culminating in signature of a contract;
  2. Individual users undergo training, are registered with Infoxchange Australia and are issued a username and secure password;
  3. Agency Managers then verify the details of new users and allocate a role within the system.
 
Detailed instructions are given below.
 
Agencies
Inner East PCP agencies interested in using E-SCS should contact the Service Coordination Program Manager of the IEPCP. The engagement process will involved the following:
  • A check on agency readiness in terms of compliance with the standards laid down in the Victorian Service Coordination Practice Manual;
  • A check on agency readiness to use E-SCS in terms of technical requirements, staff readiness, organisational procedures and determining who the agency’s referral partners are;
  • Developing an implementation and training schedule;
  • Formal and in-house training (no cost);
  • Signature of contractual documents.
 
Note that there is a $100 one-off registration cost with annual negotiable usage costs, which are very low and are based on the likely rate of usage.  
 
New users must undergo training, on completion of which they must register in their own right.
 
When registering, it is strongly recommended that the user name be the name you want to be known by to other services.

It is also strongly recommended that the initial password be the same as your user name. When you first use the system, you will first use your initial password to access the system but then be asked to set a secure password. If you subsequently forget your secure password, contact Infoxchange Helpdesk on 9418 7466. It will help them to re-connect you to the system if you can remember your initial password.

Select Inner East PCP when asked about Partners of s2s.
 
Authorisation to use the system 
Following individual registration, your manager must verify who you are, approve your participation and provide some information about your role. The form that must be faxed to Infoxchange can be found on http://info.s2s.org.au/ereferral-registration-authorisation-form#attachments
 
Training is provided at a number of levels:
  • Introductory service coordination and e-referral training (includes registration). This course is conducted monthly (see E-referral Calendar for dates) in the Computer Training Room on the first floor of Box Hill Town Hall Hub – see site map.
  • Super user courses – scheduled according to demand, also usually held at Box Hill Town Hall Hub but can also be held in agencies by arrangement. These are train-the-trainer courses for more advanced users.
  • Special purpose courses, forums and training sessions as announced from time to time.
 
Contact the Service Coordination Program Manager in the first instance for training inquiries at Christopher.foley-jones@iepcp.org.au
 
There is a demonstration guide that can be used to teach yourself how to use the system. This is also made available as a basic training tool for introductory courses.
 
A detailed guide to the system can be found in the Electronic Service Coordination System User Manual.   This Manual contains all most users will need to know, including detailed information on consent procedures (towards the back of the Manual).
 
There are also a number of Quick Guides, containing a one page summary of the most important procedures. These cover receiving referrals, sending referrals, referral coordinator roles and how to use the Reports function.
 
 
The following web addresses are useful:
 
An individual may have more than one role in the e-referral system. Also note that responsibilities may be divided up as an agency sees fit. The Service Coordination Contact will usually hold a managerial position.
 

 
Responsibilities/attributes
Referral or Service Coordinator
E-referral Administrator*
Service Coordination Contact**
Super User
Training new staff
NO
YES
NO
YES
System problem solving/staff advice
NO
YES
NO
YES
Understand service coordination
YES
YES
YES
YES
Understanding of agency procedure
YES
YES
YES
YES
Registers/de-registers users
NO
YES
NO
NO
Monitor system use and reporting
NO
YES
NO
NO
Housekeeping e.g. Closing referrals
NO
YES
NO
NO
Contact for Infoxchange/IEPCP
NO
YES*
YES**
NO
Policy decisions/allocate resources
NO
NO
YES
NO
Updating Service Seeker entry
NO
YES
NO
NO
Must be registered user of the system
YES
YES
NO
YES

*Contact for technical matters
*Contact for policy matters
 
It is strongly recommended that agencies develop a set of policies and procedures to govern the use of e-referral within their organisation. Remember that to be useful, such documents must be simple to follow, as brief as possible and be readily accessible to relevant staff.  Use this template to develop an appropriate set of policies and procedures.
 
E-referral (E-SCS) events are held from time to time.  They are usually focused on new elements that have been introduced such as new modules, new procedures, new systems.
Attendance is generally open to anybody who is interested at no charge. Consult the Service Coordination calendar to see if any events are scheduled.
 
E-referral training courses are conducted regularly. 
  • Some are formal three hour courses run in a special computer room at Box Hill Town Hall Hub
  • Some are a little shorter but are combined with an introduction to Service Coordination
  • On-site training (preferably with real referrals) can be conducted within agencies – these are particularly useful as a follow-up to formal training.
There is generally no cost for training.
To book a place consult the Service Coordination Calendar for dates/times and RSVP to christopher.foley-Jones@iepcp.org.au
 
Interested persons can teach themselves how to use the system by using the embedded instructions. 
Those wanting to train others to use the e-referral system can use the more sophisticated training guide embedded here: 
 
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