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    • Home
    • About
      • Who We Are & What We Do
      • Mission, Vision & Values
      • Our Team
      • Partners & Funders
      • News
    • Digital Health Solutions
      • ClinicalConnect
      • ConnectMyHealth
      • eConsult
      • eVisit
    • Services
    • Ontario Health Teams
    • Contact
Dig

info@HITSeHealth.ca | 905-577-8270

  • Home
  • About
    • Who We Are & What We Do
    • Mission, Vision & Values
    • Our Team
    • Partners & Funders
    • News
  • Digital Health Solutions
    • ClinicalConnect
    • ConnectMyHealth
    • eConsult
    • eVisit
  • Services
  • Ontario Health Teams
  • Contact

eConsult: seeking advice from specialists

What is eConsult?

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).

Why would I want eConsult?

Benefits

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.

Learn More

Which Specialists are available using eConsult? There is an increasing number of specialists responding to eConsults available through the OTNhub. If you know, or prefer to use, a specific specialist, they may be available through the Direct-to-Specialist option (for a list of specialists currently available, see HNHB Specialists PDF below). If you don’t have a specific specialist in mind, you can access specialists' setup in the BASE Managed Specialty Groups (for a full list click here). There is a provincial group that supports eConsults from across the province, as well as HNHB Regional groups, which are supported by local specialists (for a full list click here). 


To see how eConsult is performing within HNHB, please refer to eConsult By the Numbers (see below).   For more information on the Ontario eConsult Program visit www.eConsultOntario.ca, as well as OTN.ca about the OTNhub.ca platform. 

Related Info

HNHB Specialties & Specialists Available - March 2025 (pdf)Download
How to Set Your Priority Region to Access HNHB Regional Groups (pdf)Download
eConsult Requesting Provider Best Practice Quick Guide (pdf)Download
eConsult Specialist Best Practice Quick Guide (pdf)Download
Tips and Tricks for Specialists Promoting Use of eConsult (pdf)Download
'I'm Available on eConsult' Communication for Specialists (pdf)Download
Leveraging Delegates in your eConsult Workflow (pdf)Download
Back to eConsult main page

© 2025 HITS eHealth Office at Hamilton Health Sciences. All rights reserved. All content and materials contained within are the property of Hamilton Health Sciences Corporation and may only be reproduced with permission.  


The views expressed are those of the HITS eHealth Office at Hamilton Health Sciences and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Government of Ontario or any of its personnel or entities, including Ontario Health. 


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