The health industry is no stranger to transformation, and one of its rising innovations is the use of electronic consultations (e-consults) in specialty care. A recent study explored by the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) sheds light on the cost-saving potential of e-consults compared to traditional face-to-face specialty visits. With healthcare costs soaring and access to specialists often limited, e-consults offer a practical solution that benefits providers, patients, and the broader system.
What Are E-Consults?
Electronic consultations are interactions between referring and consulting healthcare professionals conducted using healthcare technology. These consultations enable referring providers to receive expert input without necessitating a physical appointment for their patients.
The idea is simple yet groundbreaking—streamlining communication while reducing unnecessary steps in patient care. But how do e-consults stack up when it comes to cost savings and patient outcomes? The VHA’s findings offer crucial insight.
Key Findings from the VHA Study
Conducted in 2016, the VHA study analyzed over 200,000 specialty consultations across 11 medical fields, including cardiology, neurology, and oncology. Patients receiving e-consults were compared to those undergoing traditional face-to-face specialty consultations. The results were promising:
- Cost Savings: Across nearly every specialty, e-consults led to significant reductions in both outpatient and total healthcare costs. At three months, cost savings ranged from 3.6% in cardiology to a striking 30.7% in hematology. Six-month follow-ups displayed even greater savings in most fields. For example, e-consults for hematology reduced costs by nearly 40%.
- Outpatient Efficiency: Notably, most savings resulted from reduced outpatient costs. This makes sense, as e-consults eliminate the need for many in-person appointments while still addressing the patient’s clinical needs.
- Specialty Variations: The economic impact varied across specialties. Some fields, such as hematology and endocrinology, saw substantial reductions, while cardiology experienced more modest savings. This underscores the potential to adopt e-consults based on specialty-specific needs.
- Scalability: With over 40,000 cardiology e-consults alone in 2016, the scalability of this approach is evident. These consultations represented just 4% of all cardiology referrals, demonstrating significant potential for expanded utilization of e-consults…
Beyond the Financials
Although cost savings are a major draw, e-consults also enhance access, efficiency, and provider collaboration. They shorten wait times for specialist input, reduce patient travel burdens, and free up valuable resources in overburdened healthcare systems.
The implications for organizations like the VHA are major. For veterans seeking care, e-consults minimize logistical barriers and improve timeliness, potentially improving quality of life.
The Road Ahead
If embraced thoughtfully, e-consults could redefine how we deliver specialty care. Beyond reducing costs, these consultations empower referring providers, promote speedier interventions, and support value-driven healthcare systems. Savings of $110 million per year, as estimated in the VHA study, point to the enormous potential of e-consults on a larger scale.
With strategic implementation and continued research, e-consults might just bridge the current divide in healthcare delivery—offering a sustainable and patient-centered future.
This blog post was informed by the following article:
Whittington MD, Ho PM, Kirsh SR, Kenney RR, Todd-Stenberg J, Au DH, Simonetti J. Cost savings associated with electronic specialty consultations. Am J Manag Care. 2021 Jan 1;27(1):e16-e23.
