What is eConsult?
An eConsult is an electronic consultation that allows eConsult Senders (often Primary Care Providers) to send questions to eConsult Specialists through a secure, asynchronous online platform in place of traditional faxed or "hallway" consultations, significantly reducing the wait time for accessing specialist advice with a median specialist response time of 1.0 days. Questions can vary in complexity (e.g., about a drug dosage, sending a question with images of the patient for a virtual dermatology assessment) but may avoid the need to refer a patient to a specialist for diagnosis and treatment. They also offer the possibility to request or complete additional testing or courses for treatment prior to any face-to-face specialist visits.
Dr. Clare Liddy & eConsult
eConsult has been a central element of Dr. Liddy’s professional life since 2009, when her and colleague Dr. Erin Keely first began developing the original Champlain eConsult BASE™ Service in collaboration with the Champlain Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) and the Winchester Memorial District Hospital’s information technology team. After launching the eConsult service in the Champlain region, the team began work to expand the service to the rest of Ontario, leading to the establishment of the Ontario eConsult Centre of Excellence in 2018. Today, service expansion and quality improvement for Ontario eConsult Services are ongoing with Drs. Liddy and Keely leading the charge as Co-Executive Directors of the eCOE as they continue to seek improved access to specialist care for patients and smoother transitions in care.
For more information about eConsult please see below.
eConsult Contacts & Links
For questions about eConsult, please contact econsultcoe@toh.ca
To sign up for eConsult, please contact econsultsupport@lhinworks.on.ca
For questions about research, please contact