Implementation and evaluation of an electronic consult program at a large academic health system

by Anita Arora, Renee Fekieta, Erica Spatz, Brita Roy, Karla Marco, Mona Sharifi, Dinesh Pashankar, Babar Khokhar

Background

Although the benefits of eConsults in increasing access and lowering unnecessary utilization have been well described, the development of a successful program can be challenging.

Objective

We sought to share the experiences of a large academic health system in implementing and evaluating a high-volume electronic consultation (eConsult) program across 34 adult and pediatric medical and surgical specialties.

Methods

Using a multi-method approach, we collected qualitative and quantitative data on operational and process outcomes to describe adoption of eConsults, and survey data to capture satisfaction and experience among referring and specialist clinicians.

Results and conclusions

Data evaluating this eConsult program demonstrated robust uptake of the eConsult workflow as well as high satisfaction amongst primary care and specialty clinicians. Effective implementation strategies included engaging leadership, building a dedicated team, and developing quality assurance mechanisms. These experiences and findings may inform implementation at health systems interested in eConsult programs.