eConsult: seeking advice from specialists

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The HITS eHealth Office is pleased to be the Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant (HNHB) Regional Lead, supporting the eConsult Program locally, for the eConsult Centre of Excellence, which is located in Ottawa, Ontario. In this role, we are able to assist you, and your delegates, in gaining access to eConsult through the OTNhub, including supporting any training or questions that arise. 

If you’re not familiar with eConsult, it is a secure web-based tool that allows physicians and nurse practitioners timely access to specialist advice for all patients, and often eliminates the need for an in-person specialist visit. The OTNhub, in addition to eConsult, also provides you with other services, including eVisits (video conferencing, and a specialist directory).

In many organized care settings, when a Primary Care Provider (PCP) has a question about a patient, they can ask a colleague for advice. These “hallway consultations” happen frequently and though the PCP often gets the advice needed, there are other challenges it creates. With eConsult there are benefits to both parties utilizing eConsult. 

Benefits to Primary Care Providers

• Timely access to non-urgent questions (average response time of less than a day)
• Improved care coordination and collaboration between clinicians
• Opportunities to enhance learning and manage patient cases at the family practice level
• Private and secure communication portal with a simple sign-in process
• Supports delegate access within your practice to save you time
• Family physicians can bill OHIP for eConsult referrals

Benefits to Specialists

• Reduces unnecessary referrals and focuses treatment for patients on a priority basis
• Specialists can also use eConsult to access advice from other specialists
• Opportunities for knowledge sharing and improved communication with primary care providers
• Liability protection through the permanent audit trail
• Specialists are compensated a prorated hourly rate based on the time it takes to complete an eConsult

For more information, please refer to our Primary Care Provider and our Specialist Overviews below.