The Ontario eReferral-eConsult implementation guides prescribe which API message events can be sent by the referral sender (RMS Source) and the referral receiver (RMS Target). As the integrated eReferral ecosystem expands, many Point-of-Service (POS) systems—such as EMRs and case management systems—are being used to send and receive referrals via API.
One example of this occurs when a referral is forwarded via an API message event. In this scenario, the RMS Target system, which is initially "downstream," becomes the RMS Source for the referral ("upstream") because it is now sending the referral to a new referral receiver.
There is a potential risk to patient care if the upstream system (RMS Source) makes a change to the referral (due to its own internal referral management lifecycle) and communicates this to Ocean via the API when it is no longer the RMS Target for that referral.
Therefore, in the June 5th 2025 release, Ocean will be implementing additional checks on inbound API message events to ensure that changes to the referral are only made by the current RMS Target for the referral and cannot be made via API by an upstream system. A change from an upstream system will result in an error response and the referral will not be modified.
Please contact the OceanMD Support Team if you have any questions related to this change.