Case Study
Automating Discharge Summary Distribution to Optometrists
Summary
This project enabled a private healthcare provider to fully automate the distribution of discharge summaries from Medisight to community optometrists. By integrating on-premise data sources with Microsoft Power Platform, the solution replaced manual, error-prone workflows with a secure, scalable, and standards-aligned process.
Using a data gateway, outcome letters were extracted from on-premise servers and processed through Power Automate. The documents were stored in SharePoint with associated metadata, and secure links were automatically shared with the patient’s referring optometrist via email. Robust logging, retry mechanisms, and expiry controls were built in to ensure security, compliance, and operational resilience.
Key Highlights
- Automation of outcome letter distribution.
- Integration of on-premise systems with SharePoint and Power Automate via a secure data gateway.
- Automatic lookup of the patient’s referring optometrist from SQL database.
- Secure sharing of outcome letters with optometrists via emailed links.
- Automated expiry of shared links after three months.
- Real-time monitoring, error handling, and retry mechanisms.
- Eliminated delays in information sharing.
- Reduced manual workload, positive experience for staff.
- More time to deal with patients and other tasks.
In Numbers
- 1,600+ outcome letters processed daily.
- 65% automation of manual distribution of optometrists.
- 65%+ reduction in administrative workload.
- 3-month controlled link expiry for compliance.
- £350,000 in annualised cost and efficiency savings.
The challenge
• Delays in communication, which risked slowing patient care.
• Administrative burden, as staff had to manage large volumes of discharge letters manually.
• Compliance risks, including data handling inconsistencies and limited auditability.
• Scalability limitations, with over 1,600 outcome letters requiring processing daily.
The solution
Flow: Medisight → On-Prem Server → Data Gateway → SharePoint → Power Automate → Optometrist Mailbox
We delivered a secure and automated architecture that:
1. Data Gateway Integration – Configured a secure on-premises data gateway to extract discharge summaries and associated metadata from Medisight servers.
2. SharePoint Integration – Designed a structured folder system within SharePoint with role-based access controls and periodic data purging (six months) for compliance.
3. Automated Distribution (Power Automate) –
– Read each letter into SharePoint.
– Queried an on-premise SQL database to identify the referring optometrist.
– Pulled the optometrist’s email address and generated a secure sharing link.
– Distributed the link via email, with automatic expiry after three months.
4. Error Handling & Logging –
– Invalid email addresses triggered alerts to support teams.
– Failed transmissions were logged, with retry mechanisms built in.
– An admin dashboard was developed for real-time monitoring and logging.
The Outcomes
• Automation achieved: more than 1,600 letters processed daily without manual intervention.
• Efficiency gains: administrative workload reduced by over 70%.
• Improved patient care: optometrists receive discharge summaries promptly and consistently.
• Compliance & security: secure sharing links with automatic expiry and strict access controls.
• Operational resilience: robust error handling, retry logic, and full audit logs ensure issues are identified and resolved quickly.
• Future-ready platform: the solution can be extended to cover other correspondence types and clinical partners.