Article Figures & Data
Figures
- Figure 1.
Closeout survey administered upon the completion of each eConsult.
- Figure 2.
Flow of electronic consults (eConsults) completed between April 15, 2011, and December 31, 2013, through qualitative analysis.
- Figure 3.
Chart of primary care physician (PCP) responses to questions 3 and 4 of close-out survey, completed between April 15, 2011, and December 31, 2013, enquiring about the perceived value of the electronic consult (eConsult) service for their patients and for themselves. Questions were answered on a 5-point Likert scale (5 = excellent, 1 = minimal).
Tables
- Table 1. Characteristics of Primary Care Physicians Who Are Registered to Use the Service and Left a Comment Between April 15, 2011, and December 31, 2013, Those Who are Registered and Have Yet to Submit an eConsult, and the Entire of Sample of Primary Care Physicians
Characteristics PCPs Leaving a Comment (n = 137) PCPs Who Have Yet to Submit an eConsult (n = 160) All PCPs* (n = 357) Female sex 73.7 (101) 68.1 (109) 73.1 (261) MD provider type 78.1 (107) 72.5 (116) 78.2 (279) Rural practice location 11.7 (16) 11.9 (19) 10.6 (38) eConsults submitted per PCP (n), median (IQR) 8 (4–17) N/A 6 (2–12) Years registered for the service (n), median (IQR) 1.20 (0.63–2.23) 0.93 (0.42–1.97) 1.14 (0.48–1.97) ↵* Total includes PCPs who submitted an eConsult but chose not to leave a comment.
Data are % (n) unless otherwise indicated.
eConsult, electronic consultation; IQR, interquartile range; NA, not applicable; PCP, primary care physician.
- Table 2. Specialty Distribution of Electronic Consultations Completed Between April 15, 2011 and December 31, 2013 for All Cases and Those Where a Written Comment Was Left
Specialty Cases Where PCP Elected to Leave a Comment* (n = 554) Total† (n = 2047) Cardiology 26 (41) 156 Clinical pharmacist 13 (1) 8 Dermatology 34 (127) 374 Diabetes education 50 (1) 2 Endocrinology 29 (63) 218 Ear, nose, and throat 21 (10) 48 Gastroenterology 25 (7) 28 General pediatrics 17 (19) 109 Genetics 33 (1) 3 Hematology 26 (48) 185 Infectious diseases 17 (7) 42 Internal medicine 33 (43) 129 Nephrology 27 (19) 71 Neurology 24 (48) 196 Obstetrics/gynecology 33 (49) 148 Pain medicine and anesthesiology 26 (7) 27 PainConnect (reconsultation) 100 (3) 3 Palliative care 100 (1) 1 Pediatric hematology/oncology 13 (2) 15 Psychiatry 26 (16) 61 Radiology Abdominal 22 (4) 18 Musculoskeletal 33 (5) 15 Neuroradiology 0 (0) 9 Thoracic 0 (0) 7 Rheumatology 18 (16) 89 Thrombosis 32 (10) 31 Urology 11 (6) 54 Total 2047 - Table 3. Themes Arising from Primary Care Physician Responses to Open-Ended Questions in a Mandatory Closeout Survey Completed Between April 15, 2011, and December 31, 2013 (n = 554)
Major Theme Subtheme PCP appreciation of the eConsult service Satisfaction Response time Reassurance to the PCP Cost savings Perceived benefits to the quality of patient care Educational benefits of using eConsult Face-to-face referral still needed Rerouting referrals Access to specialist knowledge Reassurance for the patient Reduced patients' burden Attitudes toward using a new health technology Adoption Challenges Request additional specialties eConsult, electronic consultation; PCP, primary care physician.
In this issue
Jump to section
Related Articles
Cited By...
- COVID-19 and beyond: virtual consultations in primary care--reflecting on the evidence base for implementation and ensuring reach: commentary article
- A comparison of faxed referrals and eConsult questions for rheumatology referrals: a descriptive study
- Does total triage and remote-by-default consulting impact vulnerable groups: A pilot study
- Patients Assess an eConsult Models Acceptability at 5 US Academic Medical Centers
- Primary Care Clinician Adherence to Specialist Advice in Electronic Consultation
- Assessment of the Generalizability of an eConsult Service through Implementation in a New Health Region
- Development of a virtual benign hematology consultation service: results of a pilot project involving 5 medical centers
- Barriers and facilitators for implementation of electronic consultations (eConsult) to enhance specialist access to care: a scoping review protocol
- Using the Quadruple Aim Framework to Measure Impact of Heath Technology Implementation: A Case Study of eConsult
- Improving Access to Rheumatologists: Use and Benefits of an Electronic Consultation Service
- Use of an electronic consultation system in primary care: a qualitative interview study
- Use of a primary care online consultation system, by whom, when and why: evaluation of a pilot observational study in 36 general practices in South West England
- Supporting Better Access to Chronic Pain Specialists: The Champlain BASE™ eConsult Service
- Improving access to allied health professionals through the Champlain BASE™ eConsult service: a cross-sectional study in Canada
- Prevention of delayed referrals through the Champlain BASE eConsult service
- What are the cost savings associated with providing access to specialist care through the Champlain BASE eConsult service? A costing evaluation
- Electronic Health Record Innovations for Healthier Patients and Happier Doctors