eConsults and Learning Between Primary Care Providers and Specialists

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Patients in many countries face poor access to specialist care. Electronic consultation (eConsult) improves access by allowing primary care providers (PCPs) and specialists to communicate electronically. As more countries adopt eConsult services, there has been growing interest in leveraging them as educational tools. Our study aimed to assess PCPs’ perspectives on eConsult’s ability to improve collegiality between providers and serve as an educational tool. Methods: We conducted a qualitative content analysis of free-text comments left by PCPs using the Champlain BASE eConsult service based in Eastern Ontario, Canada. All responses provided between January 1, 2015 and January 31, 2017 that mentioned education or collegiality were included. Results: PCPs completed 16,712 closeout surveys during the study period, of which 3,601 (22%) included free-text comments. Of these, 223 (6%) included references to education or collegiality. Three prominent themes emerged from the data: building provider relationships, teaching incorporated into answer, and prompting further learning. Conclusions: PCPs described eConsult’s ability to foster stronger relationships with specialists, deliver responses that provided teaching in multiple areas of their practice, and support further learning that extended beyond the case at hand and into their overall practice. The Champlain BASE eConsult service has educational value for providers. Further study is underway to explore how questions and replies submitted through eConsult can be used to facilitate reflective learning and promote feedback to providers.