To evaluate the impact of e-consultation for multiple specialties on hospital referral rates and explore variations based on specialty, e-consultation volumes, and family physician experience.
Key Findings:
E-consultation implementation led to a significant reduction in hospital referral rates across multiple specialties.
The impact on referral rates varied by specialty and was influenced by the volume of e-consultations per family practice.
Family physician experience also played a role in the effectiveness of e-consultations in reducing referrals.
Interpretation:
E-consultations can effectively reduce hospital referrals, contributing to more efficient healthcare delivery while maintaining quality of care.
Limitations:
The study is limited to a specific region in the Netherlands, which may affect generalizability.
Potential confounding factors from broader healthcare system changes were not fully controlled.
Conclusion:
The study supports the use of e-consultations as a viable strategy to manage healthcare costs and improve access to care by reducing unnecessary hospital referrals.
