eConsults
Medical providers aim to provide the best care possible, but our healthcare system does not allow for universal access to many types of care. This is especially true for patients at Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), where referrals to specialists often pose challenges. Primary care providers at FQHCs and elsewhere need better access to specialized knowledge and collaboration with medical professionals that helps them meet all the needs of their patients.
Connecting with healthcare specialists at CU Anschutz School of Medicine through The Care Collaborative’s eConsults program means primary care providers across the state can better care for their patients’ health. eConsults help healthcare practitioners and their patients by making it easier and more affordable, especially for people living in rural areas, to get the care they need, when they need it.
eConsults are integrated into the electronic health record system, creating structured, data rich exchanges that allow the provider and specialist to quickly develop consensus on level of care. The program has facilitated over 35,000 consultations, empowering providers across Colorado with access to specialist expertise, enabling localized care and reducing the need for referrals.
WHAT IS AN eCONSULT?
PRIMARY CARE PROVIDER
PCP has a clear clinical question to help manage a patient’s care plan.
eConsult takes place on secure online platform
SPECIALIST
Specialist replies with recommendation and next steps for the patient so the PCP can continue managing the patient's care.
eConsults and FQHCs
eConsults expanded in 2021 to include federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) in Colorado. This collaboration between an academic medical center and state partners is crucial to ensuring ongoing alignment with the state’s priority focus areas for telehealth expansion and efforts to enhance access to care. By leveraging telemedicine technologies, FQHCs are bridging gaps in specialty care, ensuring equitable healthcare delivery for all.
eConsults by the Numbers
eConsults serve as a valuable telehealth tool that reduces the need for in-person specialty visits and promotes a primary care-driven, patient-centered medical home.
- Serving 53 community-based primary care practices in 48 counties across Colorado
- Over 3,000 providers have requested an eConsult since 2018
- Over 90 specialists across more than 20 adult specialties covering approximately 115 specific adult medical conditions
- 35,000 eConsults received since 2018
- eConsults have save nearly 900,000 travel miles--nearly 36 times around the earth!
eConsults and the Environment
Read about how eConsults help reduce the environmental pollutants associated with health care delivery in Reduction of Environmental Pollutants and Travel Burden Through an Academic Medical Center-based Electronic Consultation Program.