Liddy Clare, Drosinis Paul, Joschko Justin, Keely Erin
Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Gerontol Geriatr Med. 2016 Nov 7;2:2333721416677195. doi: 10.1177/2333721416677195. eCollection 2016 Jan-Dec.
The objective of the study is to examine the Champlain. BASE (uilding ccess to pecialists through Consultation) eConsult service's impact on access to care for older persons. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of all eConsult cases submitted between April 15, 2011, and July 31, 2015, in which the patient was above the age of 65 years. Study data consisted of utilization data collected automatically by the service and responses to surveys completed by primary care providers at the conclusion of all eConsult cases. A total of 1,796 cases were submitted for older persons between April 15, 2011, and July 31, 2015, accounting for 21.3% of all cases submitted during the study period. Specialists responded to cases in a median of 0.8 days. In 94% of cases, providers rated eConsult as having great or excellent value for themselves and their patients. Sixty-eight percent of eConsults did not require a face-to-face visit; only 28% of all cases resulted in a referral. As they suffer from higher than average rates of comorbid disease and mobility issues, older persons stand to benefit from shorter wait times and better access to care, which the eConsult service can provide.
该研究的目的是考察尚普兰地区的BASE（通过会诊让患者获得专科医生服务）电子会诊服务对老年人获得医疗服务的影响。我们对2011年4月15日至2015年7月31日期间提交的所有电子会诊病例进行了横断面分析，其中患者年龄在65岁以上。研究数据包括该服务自动收集的使用数据，以及所有电子会诊病例结束时初级保健提供者完成的调查问卷的回复。2011年4月15日至2015年7月31日期间，共为老年人提交了1796例病例，占研究期间提交的所有病例的21.3%。专科医生回复病例的中位时间为0.8天。在94%的病例中，提供者认为电子会诊对他们自己和患者具有很大或极高的价值。68%的电子会诊不需要面对面就诊；所有病例中只有28%导致了转诊。由于老年人患合并症的比例高于平均水平且存在行动不便问题，他们可能会从更短的等待时间和更好的医疗服务可及性中受益，而电子会诊服务可以提供这些。
