Enhancement Overview
This update enables referring users to send referrals directly to non-network facilities via digital fax. Many providers across the care continuum still rely on fax, so this enhancement reduces manual effort, expands referral reach, and helps close the loop on referrals while creating a pathway for future network onboarding.
This capability supports states and providers that need broader referral coverage today, while also enabling a smooth transition from fax-based workflows to fully electronic referrals over time.
Key Benefits:
Eliminates manual faxing: Users initiate all referrals from a single workflow and enables referring providers to send referrals via eFax directly from the application.
Expands referral reach: Send referrals to any facility, even if they are not electronically connected.
Consistent workflows: Electronic and eFax referrals follow the same referral form, documentation, and status tracking.
Sending and Managing eFax Referrals
Create a referral
Select an eFax preferred facility.
Complete patient and referral details.
Add attachments if needed (jpg, jpeg, png, gif, txt, xml).
Submit the referral
eFax referrals are initially set to Pending, indicated by a fax icon, and require a response from the receiving facility via phone or fax. The referring user then manually updates the referral status based on that response.
OpenBeds will generate a PDF of the fax, including the form and any uploaded documents. The fax will then be sent automatically via the Softlinx fax service, and the attempt will be logged (success or failure) in the referral record.
To update the status of a referral:
Open the referral
Choose:
Accepted
Declined
Waitlisted (if enabled by the State)
Done (this will complete the referral request)
If a referral is accepted by another facility or is no longer available, eFax recipients are notified via fax, and facilities that have already accepted or closed the referral do not receive further notifications.
Fax PDFs appear in the referral’s Attachments tab, where you can logs send details including time sent, destination number, delivery status, retry attempts (if applicable), and attachments. eFax documents follow standard OpenBeds attachment retention rules.