Queen’s Family Health Team (QFHT) clinics are the first in the province to test-drive the use of patient materials to promote the Ontario eConsult Service.
The clinics, located in Kingston, are participating in a pilot project to see if increasing the knowledge of eConsult availability among patients will translate into an increase in use by providers.
The clinics have pamphlets about eConsult available in waiting areas for patients to read and take to appointments to discuss with their provider.
eConsult-specific “prescription pads” were created for clinicians to fill out and give to patients in the event an eConsult was determined to be the appropriate course of action. The pads contain information about the patient’s query, the specialty to which it was submitted, and anticipated response time.
The Ontario eConsult Centre of Excellence also provided a certificate for each clinic to display prominently, identifying it as a recognized location of practice actively improving access to specialty care through the use of eConsult.
The Ontario eConsult Centre of Excellence is seeking more clinics to trial the patient materials. If you are interested in including the materials at your facility, please contact Charlotte MacDonald.