Case Studies
E-Consult for Rural Neurology
A new study explores he demand for neurology services at Geisinger, which exceeds the current clinical capacity. The utility of Ask-a-Doc (AAD), an electronic medical record-based interface developed at Geisinger to facilitate communication between primary care physicians (PCPs) and specialists, was implemented and assessed. It was found that AAD provides an interface between PCPs and…
Read MoreE-Consult Shown to Improve Access to Respirologists
A manuscript published in the International Journal of Quality Health Care titled, “Improving Primary Care Access to Respirologists Using eConsult” describes the findings from a retrospective review of 26,679 respirology eConsults. The publication details the most common topics and the most common types of questions asked by PCPs. The analysis found that in 23% of…
Read MoreStudy Finds E-Consult an Effective tool for Pain Management
The recent retrospective cohort study, “Clinical Effectiveness of an Outpatient Multidisciplinary Chronic Pain Management Telementoring Service,” published in the Clinical Journal of Pain, demonstrates the effectiveness of e-consult in reducing opioid use. The pain e-consult program (PEP) used in the study is a multidisciplinary telementoring service based on the ECHO model. The findings indicate that…
Read MoreEvaluation of the Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Electronic Consultation Use in Primary Care
The use of e-consult has emerged as a useful tool for primary care providers (PCPs) to quickly obtain non-urgent, patient-specific, expert advice from specialists. The COVID-19 pandemic forced health systems to rapidly implement and scale telehealth alternatives to in-person care to prevent exposure to the contagious respiratory virus. A recent study from Massachusetts General Hospital…
Read MoreE-Consult: An Opportunity for Financial and Operational Innovation
Catalyst, a New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) publication, released a case study titled E-Consult Innovation: A Middle-Ground Model To Enhance Adoption and Improve Care. This study tested the efficacy of alternative operational and financial models for e-Consult. HealthPartners designed a vertically integrated system that engaged third-party payers and implemented an in-house method to compensate specialists and primary care…
Read MoreJuly 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 MoreeConsults: 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
Read MorePandemic 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/
Read MorePatients Assess an eConsult Model’s Acceptability at 5 US Academic Medical Centers (UC San Francisco)
UCSF assessment of patient acceptance of e-consult in academic medical centers across the US. https://www.annfammed.org/content/18/1/35.full
Read MoreLA County Maternal Mental Health E-Consult Pilot: Provider Willingness and IT Challenges
E-Consult supports women struggling with maternal mental health needs. Access PDF article here:
Read MoreNorth County Health Services and Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan Collaborate to Bring Safety Net Patients High-Quality Care
A California Medi-Cal managed care plan demonstrates support for an FQHC e-consult program.
Read MoreSanta Clara County: Improving the Referral Process and Creating a Culture of Collaboration with E-Consult
A Santa Clara FQHC and public hospital share their collaborative e-consult program.
Read MoreAlameda Health System and Community Health Center Network: E-Consult Collaboration Delivers High Quality Patient Care
An Alameda County FQHC and public hospital collaborate to improve their e-consult and referral processes.
Read MoreLos Angeles County: E-Consult Puts Patient With Colon Cancer On Fast Track to Treatment
An LA provider shares his experience addressing a patient’s colon cancer through e-consult.
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