Despite potential benefits, uptake and sustained use of eConsults among primary care providers remains a challenge.
Mathematica recently released findings from a pilot study demonstrating the potential for eConsults to expand access to specialty care and reduce costs by an average of $195 per person within a commercial beneficiary population. eConsults enable primary care providers to asynchronously seek input from specialists on specific clinical questions rather than having to refer patients for a face-to-face visit. Although study findings suggest eConsults are a promising intervention, primary care physician uptake was lower than expected, with most utilization concentrated in a small number of practices.
Overreliance on specialty care contributes to increased costs and limits access to care due to provider shortages and health insurance restrictions. Further, many services that are typically referred to specialists could be provided in primary care settings with sufficient support. The Peterson Center on Healthcare, in collaboration with Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield, conducted a pilot, which took place from February 2021 to July 2022, (Project Arkansas eConsultations (PARC)) to test the ability of eConsults to expedite care, reduce costs, and enhance accessibility for patients covered by commercial health insurance. Mathematica conducted a formative evaluation to learn from the pilot’s implementation and a summative evaluation to determine the impact of eConsults on cost and utilization.