What do primary care providers want to know when caring for patients living with frailty? An analysis of eConsult communications between primary care providers and specialists.
BMC Health Serv Res
; 24(1): 76, 2024 Jan 16.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38225619
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Frailty is a complex condition that primary care providers (PCPs) are managing in increasing numbers, yet there is no clear guidance or training for frailty care.OBJECTIVES:
The present study examined eConsult questions PCPs asked specialists about patients with frailty, the specialists' responses, and the impact of eConsult on the care of these patients.DESIGN:
Cross-sectional observational study.SETTING:
ChamplainBASE™ eConsult located in Eastern Ontario, Canada.PARTICIPANTS:
Sixty one eConsult cases closed by PCPs in 2019 that use the terms "frail" or "frailty" to describe patients 65 years of age or older. MEASUREMENTS The Taxonomy of Generic Clinical Questions (TGCQ) was used to classify PCP questions and the International Classification for Primary Care 3 (ICPC-3) was used to classify the clinical content of each eConsult. The impact of eConsult on patient care was measured by PCP responses to a mandatory survey.RESULTS:
PCPs most frequently directed their questions to cardiology (n = 7; 11%), gastroenterology (n = 7; 11%), and endocrinology (n = 6; 10%). Specialist answers most often pertained to medications (n = 63, 46%), recommendations for clinical investigation (n = 24, 17%), and diagnoses (n = 22, 16%). Specialist responses resulted in PCPs avoiding referral in 57% (n = 35) of cases whereas referrals were still required in 15% (n = 9) of cases. Specialists responded to eConsults in a median 1.11 days (IQR = 0.3-4.7), and 95% (n = 58) of cases received a response within 7 days. Specialists recorded a median of 15 min to respond (IQR = 10-20), with a median cost of $50.00 CAD (IQR = 33.33 - 66.66) per eConsult.CONCLUSIONS:
Through the analysis of questions and responses submitted to eConsult, this study provides novel information on PCP knowledge gaps and approaches to care for patients living with frailty. Furthermore, these analyses provide evidence that eConsult is a feasible and valuable tool for improving care for patients with frailty in primary care settings.Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Contexto en salud:
11_ODS3_cobertura_universal
/
2_ODS3
Problema de salud:
11_delivery_arrangements
/
2_cobertura_universal
Asunto principal:
Consulta Remota
/
Fragilidad
Tipo de estudio:
Diagnostic_studies
/
Guideline
/
Observational_studies
/
Prevalence_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Límite:
Aged
/
Humans
País/Región como asunto:
America do norte
Idioma:
En
Revista:
BMC Health Serv Res
Asunto de la revista:
PESQUISA EM SERVICOS DE SAUDE
Año:
2024
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Canadá