Implementation of the Electronic Tracing Report System and Evaluation of its Usefulness

Tracing reports (TRs) are widely used in Japan as follow-up tools to support safe and effective outpatient pharmacotherapy by sharing information such as adverse drug reactions and medication history between hospitals and community pharmacies. Since most TRs are currently transmitted via fax, challenges include rapid, reliable information sharing with physicians, bidirectional exchange of information between hospitals and community pharmacies, and the risk of personal information leakage. To address these challenges, Kyoto University Hospital introduced the electronic TR system “AAdE-Report” in March 2023. The introduction of the electronic TR system significantly reduced the time required to transcribe TR content into medical records from 3.1 minutes to 0.7 minutes per case. Furthermore, using the chat function integrated into the electronic TR system reduced the time required to provide feedback to community pharmacists from 7.2 minutes to 3.8 minutes per case. A survey of community pharmacists revealed that the shift to electronic TRs shortened the report preparation time, allowing more time for other tasks, such as patient-facing duties. In addition, feedback to community pharmacies increased after implementation, and the chat function was recognized as a practical tool for less disruptive communication than telephone calls.