Category Dictionary
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| eConsult complete | Instances where the patient's needs were adequately addressed through the eConsult process, eliminating the necessity for an in-person specialist visit. |
| Referral with management recommendations | eConsults recommending an in-person visit with a specialist, accompanied by specific recommendations for ongoing patient management. |
| Referral without recommendations | Cases where eConsults led to a specialist referral for face-to-face without accompanying recommendations for patient management. |
| Referral to different specialty | eConsult outcomes involving a recommendation to consult a specialist from a different medical field. |
| Consult canceled or expired | eConsults that were either canceled or expired due to inactivity, often attributed to insufficient information provided by the referring clinician. |
| Testing advice | Includes lab tests, imaging tests, biopsy, or any diagnostic tool recommended by the specialist. |
| Treatment advice | Encompasses medications, lifestyle modifications, supplements, and other recommendations aimed at improving the patient's symptoms. |
| Specialty change | Indicates a complete change from one specialty to another or a recommendation to consult a different specialty in addition to the one being consulted. |
| Authorized and appointment completed | Denoting eConsults that were allocated an authorization number and resulted in a paid claim, indicating completion of the appointment. |
| Authorized but no appointment completed | Representing eConsults that received an authorization number but did not result in a paid claim, suggesting a lack of completion for the appointment. |
| Referral requested with no corresponding authorization | Characterizing eConsults closed with the intention for an in-person visit but lacking an assigned authorization number and resulting in no paid claim. This category, observed in a minority of consults, typically stems from administrative errors. |
| No appointment requested | eConsults that either never initially requested an appointment or the appointment was no longer needed after advice. |