E-Consult and Care Coordination Decisions During the Pandemic
Specialists’ use of virtual communications to deliver care instead of in-person recommendations increased during the pandemic.
Editorial Team
August 2020 E-Consult Workgroup Webinar
This month’s webinar started with an insightful presentation by Danielle Oryn, MD, CEO of Redwood Community Health Coalition(RCHC) about an e-consult pilot initiated in April 2020 to address the lack of specialist care access providers were experiencing during the pandemic. Then Stanley Dea, MD of LA County Department of Health Services presented a review of … Read more
Proposed Changes to CMS Physician Fee Schedule for 2021
Medicare provider fee schedule including e-consult CPT codes (99446-9 and 99451-2). https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/proposed-policy-payment-and-quality-provisions-changes-medicare-physician-fee-schedule-calendar-year-4
July 2020 E-Consult Workgroup Webinar
This month’s webinar started with presentations by Grace Song, MD, CA Correctional Health Services Deputy Medical Executive and Stanley Frencher, Jr., MD, CEO of HubMD on increased e-consult use for correctional healthcare since the COVID-19 surge. Then Aasta Thielke, MPH from the Center for Evidence-Based Policy, gave a detailed presentation on the research methods and conclusions of … Read more
eConsults: A Triple Win for Patients, Clinicians and Payers (Milbank Foundation)
Milbank Foundation-supported literature review of successful e-consult programs. https://www.milbank.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/eConsults_Milbank_Report_v4.pdf
Telehealth as a Bright Spot of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Recommendations From the Virtual Frontlines (Ohio State University)
Ohio State University shares how e-consult was fast-tracked to support care during the pandemic. https://publichealth.jmir.org/2020/2/e19045/
E-Consult and telehealth as a Bright Spot of the COVID-19 Pandemic
At the outset of the pandemic, telehealth went from under 5% of visits to almost 93%, maintaining high patient satisfaction. https://publichealth.jmir.org/2020/2/e19045/
Pediatric dermatology e-consults reduce wait times and office visits
Pediatric dermatology e-consults reduce needs for face-to-face visits and offer potential costs savings for payers and patients. Access the article here.
Utility, Appropriateness, and Content of E-Consults Across Medical Subspecialties
The study found high rates of appropriate e-consults across specialties, supporting that e-consults are efficient compared with in-person visits https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/full/10.7326/M19-3852
Trends in Ambulatory Electronic Consultations During the COVID-19 Pandemic
E-Consults can replace some in-person specialty consultations, provides clinical guidance and reducing the risk of in-person visits to both patients and physicians. You can access the article here.
Outcomes and Safety of Electronic Consult Use in Vascular Surgery
E-Consults provide a safe and effective means of triaging and providing recommendations for patients with vascular disease. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31611112/
Pandemic Changes what Doctor’s Visits Look Like
In this opinion piece, Dr. Barnett argues that fewer visits caused by the pandemic is a much needed and welcome change in managing patients’ healthcare. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/05/11/after-pandemic-visiting-doctor-will-never-be-same-thats-fine/
Feasibility of Use of Electronic Consultation in Long-Term Care Homes
This study demonstrates 70% of resolution of e-consults without a face-to-face visit, a benefit for seniors that face challenges to travel to appointments. You can access the article here.
Comparing Patient Experiences with Electronic and Traditional Consultation
Patients reported similar levels of satisfaction, understanding and acceptance of e-consults and in-person referrals. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11606-020-05703-7
Impact of E-consults on Access to Endocrinology Care for Medicaid Patients
E-consults significantly improve care for Medicaid patients by decreasing the need for face-to-face visits and enabling PCPs to address specialty-related issues. You can access the article here.