eConsult is a medical app developed by the
Hurley Group.
In June 2018, the practice announced that it planned to use the eConsult online system for most consultations. This enables patients to submit their symptoms to a
GP electronically, and offers round the clock
NHS
The National Health Service (NHS) is the umbrella term for the publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom (UK). Since 1948, they have been funded out of general taxation. There are three systems which are referred to using the " ...
self-help information, signposting to services, and a symptom checker. 12 GPs are using eConsult and it is planned to recruit 12 more, so patients will only be seen in person where necessary. 340 other practices are also using eConsult, a majority of the 479 GP practices are expected to have implemented an online consultation system by April 2018.
Performance
Research published in 2018 in the ''
British Journal of General Practice
The ''British Journal of General Practice'' is a monthly peer-reviewed medical journal for general practitioners and primary care researchers.
History
The journal was established in 1953 as the ''College of General Practitioners' Research Newsl ...
'' described a qualitative study of general practices in the
West of England
West of England is a combined authority area in South West England. It is made up of the Bristol, South Gloucestershire, and Bath and North East Somerset unitary authorities. The combined authority is led by the Mayor of the West of England Dan N ...
that piloted the e-consultation system. It concluded that "the technology, in its current form, fell short of providing an effective platform for clinicians to consult with patients and did not justify their financial investment in the system."
In 2022 it agreed a six year contract with
Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust
Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust is an NHS foundation trust based in Essex, England. It runs three major hospitals across Essex, and a number of smaller community hospitals. One of the biggest NHS trusts in the country, it serves a popul ...
. This permits clinicians to ask referred patients a specialist list of questions, triaging them at the outpatients referral stage and permitting patients to send in information ahead of a visit and pre-book tests and appointments. This reduced the predicted waiting list clearance time from 20 years to three years while decreasing non-attendance from 40% to nearly zero.
Peterhead Health Centre stopped the use of its eConsult service from September 2022 due to an "an ever increasing list size and growing demand" replacing it with a new tool developed by their GP’s where staff signpost patients to the most appropriate clinician in the most appropriate time frame.
See also
*
Electronic consultation
References
External links
*{{official website, https://econsult.net/
Health care software