How eConsults make waiting for specialist care a thing of the past, and what this means for PCPs and their patients.
Specialty Care Access Shouldn’t Take So Long
Getting your patients in to see a specialist; that rarely happens fast. The truth is, when you are referring your patients, they just aren’t getting the care they need when they need it. Patients across the country are waiting months to see specialists. Luckily eConsults can help. With an eConsult, you have access to a trusted panel of on-demand specialists who will respond to your patient’s case within 24 hours. Now that’s fast. 7/10 patients will be treated immediately without the need to see a specialist in person. Rapid access to high-quality specialists means happier and healthier patients. Plus, they provide PCPs with the support to operate at the top of their license and increase their knowledge base. We call that a win-win-win. Get started improving access and outcomes for your patients today.
The Super PCP: How eConsults Enhance Primary Care Capacity
As a shortage of specialists looms and the effectiveness of referral processes wanes, healthcare looks toward innovative solutions to enhance quality primary care and capacity at the front line of care for our patient population. Strengthening this effective and efficient care setting improves access and outcomes. Learn more about how telehealth technologies, specifically eConsults, are proving a valuable resource for enhancing primary care through increased capacity.
An estimated 209,0001 primary care physicians (PCPs) are caring for a population fast approaching 325 million2.
As America’s baby boomers age, PCPs have steadily increased the volume of cases referred to specialist care by having more than doubled since 19993. However, the country is also projecting a deficit of 95,000 specialty physicians by 20254.
The rising demand and waning supply of physicians have resulted in a less effective and more costly specialty referral process. Referrals often lack complete medical workups, are sent to the wrong specialist, or are inappropriate for specialist attention. Long delays for PCPs in receiving the results from specialist visits decrease a PCP’s ability to optimize patient care. Most importantly, referral issues may delay the necessary patient treatment and lower satisfaction with the care process.
One solution to overcoming the specialist shortage is to increase the breadth of capabilities maintained by PCPs.
To do so, PCPs must embrace tools that extend their clinical domain without delegating patient care to specialists, essentially becoming “Super PCPs.” This expansion of capabilities is consistent with the evolution of the Patient-Centered Medical Home model of quality primary care that strengthens relationships between patients and their clinical care teams.