{"id":673892,"date":"2025-06-07T02:30:24","date_gmt":"2025-06-06T23:30:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/can-pediatric-e-consults-improve-access-to-specialty-care\/"},"modified":"2025-06-07T02:30:24","modified_gmt":"2025-06-06T23:30:24","slug":"can-pediatric-e-consults-improve-access-to-specialty-care","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/can-pediatric-e-consults-improve-access-to-specialty-care\/","title":{"rendered":"Can pediatric e-consults improve access to specialty care?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2cc4142ea1a\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2cc4142ea1a\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/can-pediatric-e-consults-improve-access-to-specialty-care\/#Raising_awareness_about_e-consults\" >Raising awareness about e-consults<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/can-pediatric-e-consults-improve-access-to-specialty-care\/#Boosting_patient_access\" >Boosting patient access<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"article-gallery lightGallery\">\n<div data-thumb=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/tmb\/2023\/pediatrics-1.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2023\/pediatrics-1.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Credit: Unsplash\/CC0 Public Domain\">\n<figure class=\"article-img\">\n            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/800a\/2023\/pediatrics-1.jpg\" alt=\"pediatrics\" title=\"Credit: Unsplash\/CC0 Public Domain\" width=\"800\" height=\"530\"\/><figcaption class=\"text-darken text-low-up text-truncate-js text-truncate mt-3\">\n                Credit: Unsplash\/CC0 Public Domain<br \/>\n            <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>There is a nationwide shortage of pediatric specialists, delaying care for many patients. In some cases, children wait weeks or even months for <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ointments. But now, in a study published in the journal <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/10.1177\/00099228251342105\" target=\"_blank\"><i>Clinical Pediatrics<\/i><\/a>, researchers at UC Davis Health show that e-consults\u2014in which primary care pediatricians have direct access to specialists\u2014improve care for young patients.<\/p>\n<p>Securely routed through the hospital&#8217;s electronic health record (EHR), e-consults are asynchronous &#8220;meetings&#8221; between primary care physicians and specialists to discuss a patient&#8217;s care. Once the primary provider receives the consult, they report next steps back to patients and their families.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The pediatric specialist shortage can lead to longer wait times and poor health outcomes, especially for children with complex chronic conditions,&#8221; said Ulfat Shaikh, professor of pediatrics for UC Davis Health, medical director of Healthcare Quality and first author on the study. &#8220;With e-consults, primary care physicians can ask for a second opinion, mitigating the need for families to make an in-person appointment with that specialist.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Raising_awareness_about_e-consults\"><\/span>Raising awareness about e-consults<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The research was conducted at UC Davis Health&#8217;s pediatric health clinic, which cares for around 2,800 children and adolescents each year. During the study period, from January to December 2023, primary care pediatricians requested consults with specialists in allergy and immunology, dermatology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, infectious diseases, nephrology and pulmonology.<\/p>\n<p>One of the study authors&#8217; top priorities was to raise awareness about the service. While e-consults were first implemented at UC Davis Health in 2014, there was room for improvement. To encourage greater uptake, the study team initiated several efforts to educate and engage clinicians.<\/p>\n<p>The first step was reaching out to the medical community within UC Davis Health. The team also worked with each specialty to develop its own e-consult protocols, which were then communicated to pediatric primary care physicians. To put e-consults front and center, the researchers adjusted the EHR&#8217;s referral options to remind physicians they can select a doctor-to-doctor consultation.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Boosting_patient_access\"><\/span>Boosting patient access<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Before the project, the e-consult rate was 14%. Following these interventions, that share increased to 43%. During the study, there were 65 e-consults, mostly for skin eruptions, infantile <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/books\/NBK538232\/\" target=\"_blank\">hemangiomas<\/a>, <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.healthychildren.org\/English\/health-issues\/conditions\/skin\/Pages\/Hair-Loss-Alopecia.aspx\" target=\"_blank\">alopecia<\/a> and seizures. Dermatology received the most consults. On average, clinicians waited one day for subspecialists to respond with their recommendations. By comparison, patients waited an average 59 days for in-person appointments with specialists.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to the raw data collection, the team interviewed several primary care pediatricians, specialists and a referral coordinator to better understand how they experienced these interactions.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We found that e-consults were a big win for everyone,&#8221; Shaikh said. &#8220;For families, they reduced time away from work and school, as well as transportation to and from visits. Primary care physicians were able to get more timely advice, giving them more information to provide better care. Specialists could use e-consults to order diagnostic tests before seeing patients in person, making those visits more efficient.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Because UC Davis Health has a large and rural catchment area, e-consults can be particularly valuable, mitigating the need for patients and their families to <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/trip-and-travel\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"10\" title=\"Trip &amp; Travel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">travel<\/a> long distances for appointments.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We found that e-consults helped primary care pediatricians get actionable advice from pediatric specialists for their patients,&#8221; said Shaikh. &#8220;They reduced the wait times, as well as the need for in-person visits. That improves quality and value by making health care delivery more timely and efficient.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-main__more p-4\">\n<p><strong>More information:<\/strong><br \/>\n                                                    Ulfat Shaikh et al, Implementing Electronic Consultations to Increase Pediatric Specialty Access, <i>Clinical Pediatrics<\/i> (2025). <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-doi=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1177\/00099228251342105\" target=\"_blank\">DOI: 10.1177\/00099228251342105<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>                                        <!-- print only --><\/p>\n<div class=\"d-none d-print-block\">\n<p>\n                                                 <strong>Citation<\/strong>:<br \/>\n                                                 Can pediatric e-consults improve access to specialty care? (2025, June 6)<br \/>\n                                                 retrieved 6 June 2025<br \/>\n                                                 from https:\/\/medicalxpress.com\/<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a>\/2025-06-pediatric-access-specialty.html\n                                            <\/p>\n<p>\n                                            This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no<br \/>\n                                            part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.\n                                            <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script id=\"facebook-jssdk\" async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/sdk.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more Like this articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/category\/sciencee\/\" target=\"_blank\" >Science category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/medicalxpress.com\/news\/2025-06-pediatric-access-specialty.html\" target=\"_blank\" >Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Credit: Unsplash\/CC0 Public Domain There is a nationwide shortage of pediatric specialists, delaying care for many patients. In some cases, children wait weeks or even months for appointments. But now, in a study published in the journal Clinical Pediatrics, researchers at UC Davis Health show that e-consults\u2014in which primary care pediatricians have direct access to&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":673893,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2023\/pediatrics-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-673892","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sciencee"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/673892","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=673892"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/673892\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/673893"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=673892"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=673892"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=673892"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}