TY - JOUR T1 - Assessment of the Generalizability of an eConsult Service through Implementation in a New Health Region JF - The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine JO - J Am Board Fam Med SP - 146 LP - 157 DO - 10.3122/jabfm.2019.02.180169 VL - 32 IS - 2 AU - Clare Liddy AU - Isabella Moroz AU - Ariana Mihan AU - Erin Keely Y1 - 2019/03/01 UR - http://www.jabfm.org/content/32/2/146.abstract N2 - Introduction: Excessive wait times for specialist care are a significant issue in many countries. Electronic consultation (eConsult) services have demonstrated the ability to improve access to specialist care. In this article, we evaluated the implementation of a successful eConsult service in a new jurisdiction to test its generalizability.Methods: We used a multimethod approach to evaluate the Champlain Building Access to Specialists through eConsultation eConsult service's implementation in the South East Local Health Integration Network of Ontario, Canada. Our quantitative analysis drew on use data collected automatically by the service and survey responses completed between February 1, and June 15, 2017. For our qualitative analysis, we conducted a thematic analysis of 3 focus groups with primary care providers and specialists participating in the pilot study.Results: Forty-nine out of the potential 219 primary care providers in Kingston submitted 301 cases to 24 specialty groups during the study period. Monthly case volume grew from 15 in February to 90 in May. The most frequently requested specialties included dermatology (n = 59), cardiology (n = 27), and gastroenterology (n = 26). Specialists responded in a median of 2 days, and a referral was originally contemplated but ultimately avoided in 40% of cases. Providers spoke positively of the service, citing high levels of satisfaction, enhanced collegiality, increased trust, and improved patient flow.Conclusions: Adoption of the eConsult service in the South East Local Health Integration Network was successful. The service exceeded all adoption targets, and the number of completed cases demonstrated a consistently upward trend, suggesting continued growth beyond the study's duration. The service's rate of adoption, high levels of satisfaction, and use data similar to other regions all demonstrate eConsult's generalizability. ER -