Digital health interventions to improve referral documentation: A scoping review
Audrey Lopez, Audrey Sarah Cohen, Rakshitha Vijendra, Angela Ross, Tiffany Champagne-LangabeerBackground
Referral documentation is a critical component of care coordination, yet inconsistencies and incomplete information can hinder communication and delay access to specialty care.
Objective
This scoping review examines digital health interventions to improve referral documentation across healthcare settings, organized according to the Donabedian model of structure, process, and outcomes.
Methods
A scoping review of PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science identified original studies published between 2020 and 2025 evaluating informatics-based interventions for referral documentation. Sixteen studies met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed using the Donabedian model.
Results
Electronic referral systems, standardized documentation tools, and artificial intelligence approaches were associated with documentation completeness, efficiency, and referral tracking, particularly when aligned with clinical workflows and organizational structures.
Conclusion
Digital health interventions may improve referral documentation quality. Applying the Donabedian model underscores the importance of aligning organizational structures, documentation processes, and outcome measures to optimize referral performance across healthcare settings.