eConsult is a secure web-based tool that allows a physician, nurse practitioner or midwife timely access to specialist advice for all patients and often eliminates the need for an in-person specialist visit.
- eConsult BASE™ Managed Specialty model:
- eConsults are sent to a group of specialists from across the province in a specific specialty and each case is assigned to an individual specialist by a case assigner.
- Over 135 specialties offered province-wide
- Specific Provider or Group model:
- eConsults are sent to directly to individual specialists or to a specific (organization-based) group, searchable within the directory.
By the Numbers
eConsults sent in Ontario in the last 12 months
Active Primary Care Providers*
Active Specialists*
* Sent/provided 3 eConsults in the last 6 months.
Metrics as of November 2023 to October 2024. View Previous 12 Month Snapshot
What are the benefits?
- Their care supported by a program that is fast, efficient, private, safe and cost-saving
- All patients receive access to quality specialist advice quickly, wherever they live in Ontario
- Only about one third of eConsults result in patients needing to see a specialist face- to-face.
- Evidence shows patient safety is improved through timely access to specialist advice.
- Provides timely access to non-urgent questions (average response time 1 day)
- Access to over 135 specialties & sub-specialties
- Improved care coordination and collaboration between clinicians
- Provides opportunities to enhance learning and manage patient cases at the family practice level, where patient trust is often highest
- Allows prompt, high quality communication with requesting providers
- Provides opportunities for knowledge sharing and increased capacity in primary care
- Offers liability protection through the permanent written record of advice provided
- Is an important part of restructuring care to improve equitable access for patients
Ontario eConsult has been created to enable timely and equitable access to specialist advice for all patients in Ontario. The program, with the support of Ontario Health, integrates two successful initiatives: eConsult BASE™ Managed Specialty model and the Ontario Telemedicine Network’s (OTN) Direct to Specialist model. The program includes 5 services:
- Ontario eConsult
- Champlain eConsult BASE™ regional service
- Teledermatology
- Teleophthalmology
- Triage Referral to eConsult (TReC)
Accessed primarily through the secure OTNhub (otnhub.ca), the program is led by the Ontario eConsult Centre of Excellence (eConsult COE), housed at The Ottawa Hospital in partnership with the Bruyère Research Institute.