Suitability of the faxed referrals for eConsult, as assessed by a rheumatologist*
| Response | No. (%) n = 300 |
|---|---|
| I could likely answer this consultation with an eConsult, thus likely avoiding a face-to-face consultation | 59 (19.7) |
| I could possibly answer this consultation with an eConsult, but information is missing: | 62 (20.7) |
| Requires further history to address this question, which could be obtained with exchange via eConsult | 54/62 (87.1) |
| Requires further investigations to address this question, which could be obtained with exchange via eConsult | 50/62 (80.6) |
| I could provide some advice regarding this consultation via eConsult, but the patient still likely requires a face-to-face consultation because | 96 (32.0) |
| Requires physical exam to address the question | 62/96 (64.6) |
| Requires further investigations (blood work, imaging, etc.) to address the question, which is not amenable to eConsult exchange | 23/96 (24.0) |
| Requires rheumatologist to follow patient owing to complexity/standard of care for given diagnosis/chronic drug therapy that requires rheumatology expertise | 35/96 (36.5) |
| Referred by another specialist | 18/96 (18.8) |
| Likely requires a procedure by a rheumatologist | 2/96 (2.1) |
| Other | 0 (0) |
| I am unable to provide advice via eConsult, because | 83 (27.7) |
| No clear question to be answered | 2/83 (2.4) |
| Requires physical exam to address the question | 16/83 (19.3) |
| Requires further investigations (blood work, imaging, etc.) to address the question, which is not amenable to eConsult exchange | 6/83 (7.2) |
| Requires rheumatologist to follow patient owing to complexity/standard of care for given diagnosis/chronic drug therapy that requires rheumatology expertise | 65/83 (78.3) |
| Referred by another specialist | 47/83 (56.6) |
| Likely requires a procedure by a rheumatologist | 1/83 (1.2) |
| Other | 1/83 (1.2) |
↵* It was possible to choose multiple reasons within each broader category.