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eConsult Technology Joins the Ranks of Mainstream Telehealth Models at the 2017 California Telehealth Network SummitSafety Net Connect (SNC), a leading provider of innovative web-based healthcare technology for organizations assisting underserved populations, announced today that "eConsult" (electronic consultation) technology - including SNC's Converge platform, a next generation eConsult system - is gaining dynamic traction in the mainstream telehealth sector, as made evident by the overwhelming number of presentations addressing this transformative technology at last week's CTN Telehealth Summit. Summit discussions spanned a range of timely eConsult topics, including models of adoption, integration strategies, and success stories within a broad range of entities such as public health departments, integrated delivery networks (IDN), and Medicaid plans. Panelists reported outcomes including specialist access within 1-2 days and over 60% of cases being resolved without the need for a face-to-face specialist visit. eConsult, which is an asynchronous store-and-forward platform that connects physicians and specialists on their own timeframes - augments or replaces antiquated referral processes. SNC's Converge platform takes eConsult to the enterprise level, integrating care coordination, administrative scheduling, billing and documentation, and supporting clinical decision support with workflows and expected practices. In addition, Converge addresses social determinants of health and improves heath equity - increasing coordination with social service providers, achieving reductions in inappropriate utilization, and expanding specialist capacity. Summit panelists presented case studies using Converge both as a stand-alone care collaboration and referral management system, as well as models where eConsult was paired with traditional telehealth solutions such as televideo. "The eConsult approach is unique in its ability to enable 'co-management' between specialist and PCP," said Dr. Dea, an administrator of the SNC eConsult system within Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (LADHS) and a gastroenterology specialist who utilizes the system to coordinate patient care with primary care physicians (PCPs). "eConsult technology can help provide the best care possible and has proven that this concept can be successful on a very large scale as shown by our experience." In a panel session entitled, "eConsult - Concept Adoption and Main-Stream Integration," (moderated by Elizabeth Sagara of BluePath Health and presented by Stan Dea, MD, LADHS; S. Monica Soni, MD, Director of Community Care at Martin Luther King Jr Outpatient Center, LADHS; Evan Seevak, MD, Executive Medical Director of Ambulatory Care at Alameda Health System; and Michael Mulligan, MD, MBA, Medical Director at Chapa-De Indian Health) experts shared eConsult adoption strategies and real-world examples from the perspectives of primary care and specialty providers from the nation's second largest urban health system to some of the smallest community health centers in rural northern California. "Primary care providers are a powerful asset with limitless potential for growth - with the right kind of support," said Dr. Soni, a PCP who utilizes the SNC eConsult system within her LADHS-based ambulatory health center practice. "We are finding eConsult to be an excellent channel for this support. By increasing transparency, fostering communication with specialists, and advancing our county's Expected Practices, eConsult provides the infrastructure for PCP skill building and actually advances patient-centered care." "This outpouring of enthusiasm for the eConsult model is very exciting for the continuing evolution of the practice of healthcare," said Chris Cruttenden, President of SNC. "Our recent launch of the Converge Next Generation eConsult platform offers organizations added benefit by expanding on the transactional model of traditional eConsults - efficiently coordinating whole-person care for thousands of providers and millions of patients across the healthcare continuum." About Safety Net Connect Since 2009, Safety Net Connect (SNC) has been a leading creator of healthcare technology that makes it easier for providers and institutions to increase access to care, streamline care coordination, promote evidence-based practices, and improve quality. With a mission to improve health equity, SNC has helped public and private healthcare organizations across the nation successfully reach over 5 million low-income, underserved individuals with affordable, effective patient-centered care. For more information, please visit www.safetynetconnect.com
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