An Electronic Patient Referral Application: A Case Study from Zambia

Electronic medical records (EMRs) benefit health systems, especially in low-income developing countries. EMR systems can give medical personnel access to patients’ records and can reduce time needed for data management and record keeping. The report discusses the design, implementation, and results of an installed electronic perinatal patient-referral system supporting health personnel who referred patients through a closed-network, Web-based system in the Lusaka health district in Zambia. It demonstrates how the patient referral module laid the groundwork for a larger EMR system.