Requesting a first appointment is now easier, faster and 100% digital
The MUHC has a new digital patient referral system that is being deployed during the first half of 2025. The MUHC Referral Portal launched at Lachine Hospital on January 27 and today it launched at The Neuro (Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital).
Now, patients with a referral who are requesting a first appointment at the Lachine Hospital, and patients with a referral from a specialist who are requesting a first appointment at The Neuro, can do so using the new online system.
Scan, fill out, upload
The portal is designed to make it easier for patients to request a first appointment at the MUHC. It uses a standard online form that eliminates the need for faxing, which is the way most referrals have been received for a long time.
“In just a few steps, a request for an appointment with a specialist at the hospital can be submitted,” explains Shari Beharry, manager of the MUHC Appointment and Referral Centre (ARC). “Almost immediately, a confirmation message and ticket number are sent to the email provided and the request is sent electronically to our team at the ARC.” The uploaded documents are reviewed at by the Referral Portal team, and complete requests are sent to the appropriate specialties.
Site-by-site roll out
The Referral Portal is coming soon to the Montreal General Hospital and the Glen site (adult) and Montreal Children’s Hospital.
“All MUHC sites are expected to be using the new system by this summer,” says Alain Biron, Director of Nursing at the MUHC. “The implementation of the portal at the Lachine Hospital has gone well. The public is gradually learning that they can send in their requests for a first appointment by accessing the portal via the MUHC website.”
Resources available
Lots of planning has gone into how to make the system as user-friendly as possible.
“We have put together a web page with detailed information on digitally scanning a requisition,” says Shari. “We also provide an FAQ section to answer some common questions about the portal and appointments in general.”
Questions can also be answered by phone by calling 514-934-1934 extension 45605, Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
For people who need in-person help scanning their referral, assistance is available at the Glen site’s McConnell Resource Centre, the resource centre at The Neuro (Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital) and the Saul-Bellow library in Lachine.
For more information and to visit the platform, go to muhc.ca/referral.