Participating in eConsult has many benefits:
- To reduce the amount of time patients have to wait for specialist advice
- To reduce the number of unnecessary referrals received
- To reduce the number of unnecessary face-to-face visits conducted
- To reduce patient wait times for specialists
- To help primary care providers better prepare patients for specialist appointments by ensuring all necessary imaging, lab work, etc., is completed prior to the initial visit
- To enhance communication between primary care providers and specialists
It should also be noted that, unlike a “hallway consultation” between physicians, specialists participating in eConsult are compensated for providing an eConsult. This also allows for an audit trail of the consultation having occurred.
Specialists enrolled with Ontario eConsult are expected to:
- Be experienced healthcare practitioners in good standing with their regulatory body
- Respond to requesting provider questions within 7 days (median response time is 2 days)
- Have a desire to improve equitable access to care
- Have an interest in providing collegial, educational replies
- Contribute to a community of practice with physicians and nurse practitioners in South East region
- Check out this quick guide to best practices
Who else is participating in Ontario eConsult?
- See a full list of specialties, subspecialties, and specialists participating in Ontario eConsult in the South East region
- See a full list of the self-managed groups available in the South East region
- See a full list of specialties, subspecialties, and specialists participating in Ontario eConsult in the Central East region
How do I join Ontario eConsult?
- Sign up on our website.
FAQs
An eConsult is an electronic communication between a primary care provider (PCP) and a specialist. The PCP sends a patient-specific medical question to the specialist via a secure, web-based platform. They can also attach pertinent documents, such as imaging, lab results, etc., if required. The specialist can then respond with timely advice without the need for a face-to-face consultation. For more information on how an eConsult works, visit Ontario eConsult’s website.
The Ontario Health - Ontario Telemedicine Network (OH-OTN) provides the technological infrastructure for the Ontario eConsult Service. OntarioMD provides and supports EMR integration of the Ontario eConsult Service. SEAMO oversees the registration process, produces reports for key stakeholders and provides funding to specialists participating in Ontario eConsult.
Approximately 50% of primary care providers in the South East Region participate in Ontario eConsult, including the Queen’s Family Health Team. All primary care providers, physicians and nurse practitioners, are strongly encouraged to become involved in Ontario eConsult.
Specialists with an interest in telemedicine, innovative patient care and a willingness to champion eConsults among their peers, are encouraged to speak to their department heads about joining Ontario eConsult.
Over 105 specialties and sub-specialties are available through Ontario eConsult. Primary care providers can access both regional and provincial specialists through the BASE™ Managed Groups and Direct-to-Specialist options.
For Patients
- Care supported by a service that is fast, efficient, private, safe and cost-effective
- All patients receive access to quality specialist advice quickly, wherever they live in Ontario
- Only about one-third of eConsults result in patients needing to see a specialist face-to-face.
- Evidence shows patient safety is improved through timely access to specialist advice.
For Physicians and Nurse Practitioners
- Provides timely access to non-urgent questions (average response time 2 days)
- Access to over 105 specialties & sub-specialties
- Improved care coordination and collaboration between clinicians
- Provides opportunities to enhance learning and manage patient cases at the family practice level, where patient trust is often highest
For Specialists
- Allows prompt, high-quality communication with requesting providers
- Provides opportunities for knowledge sharing and increased capacity in primary care
- Is an important part of restructuring care to improve equitable access for patients
It should also be noted that, unlike a “hallway consultation” between physicians, specialists participating in the service are compensated for providing an eConsult. This also allows for an audit trail of the consultation having occurred.
Time spent on an eConsult is self-reported at the end of the eConsult, and is now paid at $220/hour, pro-rated in 5-minute increments, rounded up to the nearest increment, for the first 25 minutes. Time spent after 25 minutes is pro-rated to the minute. The maximum billing time per eConsult response is 60 minutes. If an eConsult lasts more than 20 minutes, the system prompts the specialist for an explanation, in order to be compensated for the portion of the consult over 20 minutes.
IMPORTANT: SEAMO-funded physicians are still paid through their Departments and non-SEAMO funded physicians are paid by the Ottawa Hospital.
The length of time it takes to complete an eConsult depends on the complexity of the question from the requester.
In the South East Region, the median time spent on an eConsult is 15 minutes.
There is no set number of eConsults each participant must complete.
eConsults must be answered by specialists within 7 days.
You can sign up on our website.
If your specialty is not part of SEAMO, please contact the SEAMO Digital Health Team by email.
Only physicians and nurse practitioners are currently able to participate in Ontario eConsult.
The Canadian Medical Protective Association has assessed the eConsult flow of care and determined that it provides an opportunity to improve efficiency, enhance care, improve access to specialists, and provides a clear audit trail of advice given to primary care providers by specialists. Please see a joint document on liability with the CMPA.
According to the Canadian Medical Protective Association, the primary care provider remains the MRP for the patient when using Ontario eConsult. When a specialist accepts an eConsult, the responsibility of care or decision-making does not transfer to the specialist.
According to the Canadian Medical Protective Association, specialists are accountable for any advice given via eConsult for patient care, similar to any advice given to a primary care provider during a “hallway consultation”. Unlike a “hallway consultation”, however, an eConsult provides a clear audit trail, linking the specialist advice to the primary care provider, which is also documented in the patient’s medical record.
Full details of the technical requirements for Ontario eConsult can be found on the OTN Hub.
The OTN Hub is cloud-based and easily accessed from a web browser. It is compatible with the following browsers:
- Safari v8+
- Firefox v38+
- Google Chrome v42+
USERNAME
Your ONE®ID username is firstname.lastname@oneid.on.ca
PASSWORD
Self-serve password reset is available for ONE®ID on the login screen by clicking on the "Forgot Password?" tab. If this does not resolve your issue, please contact the eHealth Ontario help desk at 1-866-250-1554.
If you are experiencing technical issues with the eConsult platform, please contact the Ontario Telemedicine Network (OTN) Customer Care Centre at 1-866-454-6861.
If your issue can't be resolved, please contact the SEAMO Digital Health Team by email.
If you are unable to connect to the eConsult website, first determine if the problem is with your browser, Wifi or Internet connection.
If you are attempting to connect from Queen's University, contact the IT Support Centre at 613-533-6666 (internal ext. 36666).
If you are attempting to connect from Kingston General Hospital or Hotel Dieu Hospital sites, contact the KHSC IT Help Desk at 613-549-6666 ext. 4357 or by email.
If you are attempting to connect from home, please contact your Internet Service Provider.
If you are experiencing technical issues with the eConsult platform itself, please contact the Ontario Telemedicine Network (OTN) Customer Care Centre at 1-866-454-6861.
If your issue can't be resolved, please contact the SEAMO Digital Health Team by email.
If you have a different technical problem related to Ontario eConsult, please contact the SEAMO Digital Health Team by email.
To set a notification alerting primary care providers of a temporary change in availability, you can set an "out of office" notification on the OTNHub. To do this, edit your eConsult service availability settings using these instructions.
to set a notification alerting primary care providers of a temporary change in availability”
If you would like to participate in Ontario eConsult, please download a registration form and email the completed version to the SEAMO Digital Health Team by email.
You can also visit Ontario eConsult website for more information.