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eConsult Sender Best Practice Guide

Responsibilities as an eConsult Senders

​Submit professional, patient-specific, nonurgent clinical questions

Include relevant and sufficiently detailed information

Maintain responsibility of care for the patient and act as HIC for all patient PHI***

Store a copy of the eConsult response in the patient record as for any traditional consult report

Maintain up to date contact information in your eConsult account

Requesting eConsults

#1

Submit eConsult using our Champlain eConsult BASE™ Service:

  • BASE™ Managed Specialty: eConsults are sent to a group of specialists in a specific specialty from across the province or from a specific region and each case is assigned to a specific specialist by a case assigner. Over 150 specialties offered province-wide through primarily local specialists.

Requesting providers may wish to utilize a delegate (typically a referral clerk, nurse or administrator) who can create, submit, manage, monitor and file eConsults on behalf of one or many physicians or nurse practitioners (providers). Click here for more information or contact us at eConsultSupport@lhinworks.on.ca for support incorporating eConsult into your clinical workflow.

#2

Review the eConsult response provided by the specialist and either complete the eConsult, or send follow-up questions/request clarification.

  • If the specialist requests further information, please provide the information in a timely manner.

  • When completing the eConsult, send any relevant constructive feedback to the specialist in the box provided prior to clicking 'complete' button, fill out the close-out survey questions and provide any feedback on the service or technology.

  • If a face to face referral is recommended, use your standard referral pathways and processes. The specialist who provided the eConsult is not required to provide the face to face referral. Likewise, requesting providers are not also not required to refer to the specialist that provided the eConsult.

5 Elements of a High Quality eConsult Request

1. Send eConsults for non-urgent clinical questions. eConsult does not replace or pre-empt the usual referral process for face to face visits. General nonpatient specific questions may be sent to COVID-19 related BASE™ managed specialties only.

2. Include a clear and concise clinical question

3. Use a professional and respectful tone

4. Include sufficient and appropriate clinical details such as relevant investigations and treatments, specific to the clinical question. This may include the Cumulative Patient Profile, if appropriate. Do not attach the entire chart.

5. Any images or attachments should be legible and file names should not include a comma (",") to avoid technical difficulties opening the file. All photos should clearly identify the source and location (for examples, see our guide for high quality Dermatology eConsult Image Requirements).

Keely, E. and Liddy, C. (2020) Specialist participation in eConsult and eReferral Services: best practices. Telemed e-Health. Available at: http://doi.org/10.1089/tmj.2020.0023

Tran C, Archibald D, Humphrey-Murto S, Liddy C, Keely E. What Makes a High Quality eConsult? A Nominal Group Study. J  Telemed Telecare. 2019 Feb 4:1357633X18822885. doi: 10.1177/1357633X18822885. [Epub ahead of print]

Privacy, Consent, Documentation, & Billing

  • ***Requesting Providers maintain their role as Health Information Custodians (HIC) of Personal Health Information (PHI) that they create or collect through an eConsult, and should follow all existing rules, regulations and laws.

  • Patient consent is implied in an eConsult as this interaction remains within the circle of care; however, advising the patient of the use of this tool is good practice.

  • Requesting providers should document in the patient’s medical record the information that would normally be expected with any consult or referral request, including the patient information provided to the specialist, details of exchanges with the specialist, the specialist’s recommendations, and the reasons for following the specialist’s recommendations (or not).

  • Requesting providers, where applicable, may bill OHIP K738 as per the rules in the Schedule of Benefits. For more information on eConsult remuneration please visit our FAQ Pages on www.ChamplainBASEeConsult.com contact us at eConsultAdmin@toh.ca for remuneration related inquries. 

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