eConsult
Electronic specialist access – streamlining timely patient care.
About eConsult
Electronic consult (eConsult) is a secure web-based tool that allows physician, nurse practitioner or midwife timely access to specialist advice for all patients and often eliminates the need for an in-person specialist visit.
As part of the Ontario eServices Program – led in partnership with the eConsult Centre of Excellence – the Amplify Care is supporting the deployment of eConsult.
Our eConsult team provides implementation support and in-person coaching for primary care clinicians and specialists who wish to use Ontario eConsult Service, hosted on the OTN Hub, which enables primary care clinicians to connect quickly and easily with specialists for expert advice
How eConsult works
Physicians, nurse practitioners and midwives send a secure message to a specialist or a specialty group
May request treatment options, ask for advice or query if a referral is needed
Receive advice quickly and securely… in less than 1 day on average!
Ability to have back and forth discussion or clarification
eConsult – Supporting Regional Communities of Practice
Read the peer reviewed research behind eConsult
eConsult improves the experience for all
Primary care clinicians
- Timely access to experience-based specialist knowledge Improved confidence in the plan of care Increased collaboration between primary care clinicians and specialists
- Ability to send eConsults to regional specialists: learn how here!
- Manage patient care at the family practice level, where patient trust is often the highest
eConsult recipients
- Potential to reduce unnecessary referrals and wait times!
- Contribute to a community of practice with physicians and nurse practitioners in their region
- Improved communication with primary care clinicians
- An effective way to continue providing education to primary care clinicians
- Administrative tasks are lessened, such as the need to make follow-up phone calls
Patients
- Improved confidence in primary care clinician’s care plan
- Reduced anxiety related to delayed treatment
- Potential to decrease travel required for in-person specialist visits
- Improve access to specialist advice and care
I love eConsult – so may questions in my day are too big to leave, too complicated to read about, but too small to require my patients to drive 500km to the nearest specialist. Also, eConsult allows for specialist input now, not 10 months from now.
Dr. Larry Willms
Sioux Lookout
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between the “eConsult BASE™ Managed Specialty” and “Specific Provider or Group” options?
- The “eConsult BASE™ Managed Specialty” option enables the requesting provider to submit cases to a regional or Provincial eConsult BASE™ Managed Specialty group, which is a group of specialists responding to cases for a given specialty or sub-specialty (e.g. pediatric cardiology). The case is then assigned based on specialist availability.
- The “Specific Provider or Group” option enables the requesting provider to submit cases directly to individual specialists or (self-managed) groups by searching in a directory. Members within the Self-Managed group, are responsible for specialist recruitment, group administration and case assignment; cases are managed by a case assigner appointed by the group/organization.
Who are the specialists?
- Specialists are located across the province
- Currently, the provincial eConsult BASE™ managed service on the OTNhub (otnhub.ca) offers access to over 135 specialist groups, including dermatology, psychiatry, endocrinology, cardiology, hematology, and pediatrics. See full list of the current specialty groups.
- Regional eConsult BASE™ managed groups are currently available across most of Ontario. To set your priority regions to have cases sent to a regional group of specialists (where available) please review our video.
- If there is a specialty you would like to see, let us know at eConsultCOE@toh.ca
How are family physicians and nurse practitioners compensated for sending an eConsult?
- The service is available at no cost to the patient and the provider
- Where applicable, family physicians can bill OHIP using the K738 fee code
- Providers receiving a salary will not receive additional compensation for using eConsult
- See the OMA quick reference guide “OHIP Payments for E-Consultation Services for Referring Physicians (K738)” for more information
How do I manage liability risk?
The eConsult COE has collaborated with OntarioMD and the Canadian Medical Protective Association (CMPA) to develop a Frequently Asked Questions document on managing liability risk. View document for more detailed information.
How can I fit eConsult into my referral workflow?
- Independently submit eConsults using the OTNhub web-platform
- Send an eConsult using your existing Ocean eReferral workflow
- Submit an eConsult through a full EMR Integration
- Initiate an eConsult using the Contextual Launch functionality, from your EMR
- Manage your eConsults leveraging support from a delegate within your practice
How we amplify
Explore our collection of case studies and blogs showcasing
the evidence, insights, and expert perspectives on the value of eConsult.
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Unlocking the benefits of using eConsult in Primary Care
Wendy Lang from Amplify Care highlights the benefits of eConsult in reducing wait times for specialist care by allowing primary care physicians to quickly get advice from specialists – sometimes in less than a day!
Want to learn more about eConsult?
To learn more about eConsult, please visit the Ontario eServices Program.
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