Improving access to specialists in remote communities: a cross-sectional study and cost analysis of the use of eConsult in Nunavut. Issue 1 (1st January 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Liddy, Clare; McKellips, Fanny; Armstrong, Catherine Deri; Afkham, Amir; Fraser-Roberts, Leigh; Keely, Erin
• Is Part Of: International journal of circumpolar health. Volume 76:Issue 1(2017)
• Publication Date: 2017-01-01
• Subjects: Primary care -- eConsult -- electronic consultation -- wait times -- rural communities -- northern communities; Arctic medicine -- Periodicals; Circumpolar medicine -- Periodicals; Médecine arctique -- Périodiques; Médecine polaire -- Périodiques; Arctic medicine; Circumpolar medicine; Gezondheid; Noordpoolgebied; Cold Climate; Medicine; Antarctic Regions; Arctic Regions; Periodicals; 616.9881
• DOI: 10.1080/22423982.2017.1323493
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1239-9736

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Background : Residents of remote communities face inequities in access to specialists, excessive wait times, and poorly coordinated care. The Champlain BASE TM (Building Access to Specialists through eConsultation) service facilitates asynchronous communication between primary care providers (PCP) and specialists. The service was extended to several PCPs in Nunavut in 2014. Objective : To (1) describe the use of eConsult services in Nunavut, and (2) conduct a costing evaluation. Design : A cross-sectional study and cost analysis of all eConsult cases submitted between August 2014 and April 2016. Results : PCPs from Nunavut submitted 165 eConsult cases. The most popular specialties were dermatology (16%), cardiology (8%), endocrinology (7%), otolaryngology (7%), and obstetrics/gynaecology (7%). Specialists provided a response in a median of 0.9 days (IQR=0.3–3.0, range=0.01–15.02). In 35% of cases, PCPs were able to avoid the face-to-face specialist visits they had originally planned for their patients. Total savings associated with eConsult in Nunavut are estimated at $180, 552.73 or $1, 100.93 per eConsult. Conclusions : The eConsult service provided patients in Nunavut's remote communities with prompt access to specialist advice. The service's chief advantage in Canada's northern communities is its ability to offer electronic access to a breadth of specialties far greater than could be supported locally. Our findings suggest that a territory-wide adoption of eConsult would generate enormous savings.