Background
In many reception centers medical consultation hours or outpatient clinics serve as the first point of contact for health concerns and complaints. Conventional software solutions for medical documentation and practice management are not always optimally suited for the special requirements of this care situation.
Software solution
Ref.Care (Refugee Care Manager) is a customized medical documentation software, specifically developed for medical care in refugee reception centers. The software includes digital patient files and functions for planning outpatient clinic procedures.
Key features
The software enables encrypted exchange of relevant findings when patients move between facilities and the automated generation of local statistics on health and care provision. Local statistical outputs provide the basis for anonymized, cross-facility monitoring of healthcare delivery. The software is installed locally, it is not a cloud-based solution.
Development
Ref.Care was developed by the Section for Health Equity Studies & Migration at Heidelberg University Hospital, under the direction of Prof. Dr. Kayvan Bozorgmehr and is continuously updated. The project started with funding from the Federal Ministry of Health as part of the PriCare project.
Dissemination
Ref.Care is currently used in around 30 facilities in two federal states. Ref.Care is used in all reception centres in Baden-Württemberg.
As of August 2024, more than 152,795 people treated and over 790,040 treatment contacts have been documented.