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Mark Harmon is a medic and the Strategic Director of eConsult, “…the only online consultation tool created by GPs, for GPs” Mark explains how the system was developed, how it works in practice and the material benefits it is delivering for practices and patients. He talks costs & evaluation and describes a not-to-distant future where the whole urgent care system might be using this technology.

Show Notes

EConsult is developed to solve a problem with demand in general practice (1min 18secs)

Are computers set to replace doctors? (1mins 56secs)

How widespread is eConsult as a solution? (2mins 23secs)

How does it work? (2mins 49secs)

Options other than seeing a GP (3mins 33secs)

Starting consultations online (4mins 15secs)

Reducing demand on GPs time (5mins 09secs)

Works as a planned part of daily routine (6mins 03secs)

Better pre-history (6mins 52secs)

60-80% of eConsults don’t need to result in an appointment (7mins 33secs)

Awareness relies on reception and admin team (7mins 57secs)

Material impact on practices (8mins 38secs)

Some practices have 25-30% patients using the system (9mins 14secs)

DNA rates fall too (10mins 21secs)

Patient feedback – 87% like it (10mins 29secs)

Are certain groups disadvantaged? (11mins 18secs)

Buying the system (12mins 02secs)

Rolling the system out through CCGs with GPFV money (12mins 39secs)

Federations using the system (13mins 42secs)

Potential coverage (13mins 57secs)

A glimpse of the future – urgent care systems adopting eConsults (15mins)

A pilot in Bexley – electronic triage (16mins 08secs)

How the system might work in Bexley (17mins 09secs)

Doesn’t the NHS kill technology? (18mins 19secs)

Further information (19mins 48secs)

Find out more via the eConsult website here