Experiences of specialist physicians with e-consultations

An e-consultation is a form of virtual asynchronous communication between a primary care provider (PCP) and specialist physician within a shared electronic health record (EHR), designed to improve communication and timely access to specialized care. Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) initiated a province wide e-consult service in 2018 which continues today, used by PCPs and specialists working in the provincial health care system.

The focus of this observational study is to explore the experiences of specialists who have utilized the NL e-consult system.

The study method was a mixed method survey. An anonymous, web-based questionnaire was sent to specialist physicians working in NL who participated in the e-consult service between January 2018 and December 2022.

Thirty-six specialists completed the e-questionnaire, with a 55% response rate (36/66). The majority were internal medicine specialists (53%), followed by surgical subspecialities (16%), psychiatrists (11%), and other (19%). Most respondents agreed there was a role for e-consults in the health care system. However, almost all respondents (90%) indicated they had no protected clinical time for completing e-consults. Moreover, 92% indicated e-consults were answered outside of regular working hours at least some of the time. About half (47%) replied they spent 1 h or less per week answering e-consults, while 30% indicated it was 2-3 h per week. Only 44% of physicians were financially reimbursed for completing e-consults.

The e-consult system has been successfully introduced within the provincial health care in NL. However, issues of dedicated time for e-consults and adequate financial compensation may limit its sustainability in the long term.