Overview & how-to guide

What is ER Passport?

ER Passport is a secure online referral system that offers you a quick and convenient way to easily refer your patients to the ED without having to pick up the phone. Simply fill out an online form with the relevant referral information and submit. The receiving ED will be informed of your patient’s referral immediately.

Why use it?

Improve communication – Send patient information straight to the ED. No more scribbled notes that get lost in between shift changes.
Save time – No more sitting on hold waiting to be connected to someone at the ED. Refer patients in a matter of a few minutes.
Expedite your patients’ care – Your advance notice means the ED can be ready for your patients and be able to see them quicker.
Free for you and your patients – ER Passport is a complimentary service.
No installation necessary – Simply plug in the ER Passport URL and you’re ready to refer.
No usernames or passwords – No need to remember login information or sign up for an account.

Useful features

How it works

1. Bookmark the ER Passport URL

Input the ER Passport URL that the ED provides you into your browser search bar and save it as a bookmark so you can easily revist this page any time you need to refer a patient.

More info on saving bookmarks by browser:

Please note that the ER Passport referral form is not supported by Internet Explorer.

2. Add your patient’s information

The first page of the ER Passport form should be completed with the patient’s basic demographic information including:

Patient first and last name
Patient DOB
Patient sex
Patient phone (optional)
Patient email (optional)

Please note that all required fields must be filled out in order to move to the next page.

3. Add the visit information

The second page of the ER Passport form should be completed with the patient’s visit information including:

Chief complaint
Diagnostic concerns / comments (optional)
ETA dropdown & mode of transport
Whether the patient has visited the ED before
File attachment for up to 3 patient records in a PDF, PNG, or JPEG file format (optional)

3. Add the referral information

The third and final page of the ER Passport should be completed with the referring clinic information including:

Referring clinic name
Provider name
Terms & conditions

Adding a new clinic and/or provider

There are dropdown menus pre-filled with clinics and providers so you should first look to see if your information is in there.
If you do NOT see your clinic and/or provider please scroll down to the bottom of the dropdown list where you will see an “Add New” option. Click this option and the clinic and/or provider fields will appear below for you to fill out. Once you submit the form, the clinic and/or provider info you added will be saved for the next time.

4. Submit!

On submission, you’ll be directed to a confirmation page showing a few details of the referral you just made including:

Patient name
Patient’s ETA
Receiving ED address & phone number
Confirmation number – this is automatically generated and is sometimes used by the ED to help identify a patient referral.

You have two options at this point:

Refer another patient
Print the referral details out

Confirmation communication:

Email with the same information will be automatically sent to the referring provider

On the receiving end

Meanwhile, the receiving ED will get your referral immediately after submission in what we call the virtual Patient Queue. All the information you just sent over will be preserved and viewable by the ED staff so they’ll know to expect and prepare for your patient’s arrival.

Please note that your referral does not guarantee your patient an advanced position in line. The receiving ED will do its best to see your patient when they arrive, but they must treat patients based on the severity of their condition.

Communication about the status of the patient

On submission of your referral you will receive an email and a text message with the same confirmation details as the final confirmation page of the ER Passport form.
On disposition of your patient at the receiving ED, you will receive an email and a text message only with the status of the patient’s disposition – whether they were admitted, discharged, or a no-show. For security reasons, we cannot share sensitive PII or PHI in automated emails or text messages. You are free to call the receiving ED to get more details about your patient, however.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a fee for referring clinics to use ER Passport? Is there a fee for patients?

No, ER Passport is a free service for you and your patients.

Is ER Passport secure? Is it HIPAA compliant?

Yes, ER Passport uses Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) to protect your patients’ data and is stored in an encrypted database.

If I refer my patient to the ER using the ER Passport tool, is there a guarantee of when my patient will be seen?

No, there is not a guarantee. However your patient should be seen faster because the ER staff can better prepare for their arrival.

Do I find out what happened to my patient?

You will receive a text and an email informing you that a patient you sent today was either discharged, admitted, or a no-show.

Why can't I get more information about the outcome of my patient such as their diagnosis?

For privacy reasons, the system doesn’t include any protected health information (PHI) in emails or text messages.

Can I use it from a mobile device?

Yes, the ER Passport form is mobile-friendly.

Do I have to use ER Passport? What if I am sending the patient by ambulance?

ER Passport is never mandatory. It helps improve communication between your clinic and the ER while giving patients a better experience. We strongly recommend using ER Passport even if the patient is arriving via ambulance. You may even indicate this on the online form.

Still have questions?

This page was more than likely provided to you by a physician liaison or another staff member at the receiving ED. Please contact this person if you have any questions regarding ER Passport.