eConsults for Interventional Endoscopy Improve Clinician Satisfaction

Background and Aims As part of an effort to streamline our institutional process for referral and scheduling of interventional endoscopy procedures; facilitate ease of referral for these procedures; and standardize documentation of critical steps in the chain of referral, review, and scheduling, we devised and implemented an eConsult service for interventional endoscopy and analyzed its performance by uptake and provider satisfaction. Methods An eConsult electronic order template was designed and implemented for outpatient referrals for interventional endoscopic procedures. Following 12 months of operation of this eConsult platform, referring providers were asked to rate their satisfaction with eConsult referrals. Results In all, 129 eConsults were completed within a 12-month period, with steady monthly growth throughout. About 89.5% of referring providers indicated that "eConsult has made it easier for me to refer patients for endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography/endoscopic ultrasound," while 84% indicated "I would like to see eConsult expanded to other service lines." Conclusion eConsults appear to be an efficient and effective mechanism for referral, clinically documented review, and scheduling of outpatient interventional endoscopy procedures.