3. What is ?
1. Self-help tools that allow patients to safely manage a proportion of
their own needs without visiting the practice, PLUS
2. Condition-specific questionnaires which gather patient histories and
convert them into structured summaries for their GP to triage
asynchronously
This improves patient access and speed to treatment
BUT CRUCIALLY
It also improves practices efficiency and reduces urgent care usage.
Developed by clinicians for clinicians, through a collaboration between
Hurley Group and EMIS Health.
4. Constructing a Solution
Patient
identifiable?
Agreed
response
time?
Comms
loop
closed?
Optimises
data
capture
Better
for
patient?
Better for
GP
efficiency
Better for
CCG?
Scalable?
Email No No No No Yes
Supply-led
demand?
Against IG No
Text No Maybe Maybe No Yes
Supply-led
demand?
Pilot
Stopped
Maybe
Webcam Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Supply-led
demand
Pilots
Awaited
Yes, but
supply-led
demand
The Task
• Create comprehensive history gathering
questionnaires on many common general
practice issues
• Patient focus e.g. language, tone, simplicity
• Amplify the impact by combining it with self-
management options to top-slice appointment
demand
The Team
• Highly accomplished GPs
• 5 authors and 30 reviewers
• Deep user experience input
• Design Council involvement
• Astute programme architects
• Stakeholders - MDU/MPS/MDDUS,
CQC, HSCIC and NHS Choices)
eConsult Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Reduced
Urgent
Care
Yes
Why not Email/Text or Webcam?
How we construct each eConsult
eConsult is designed to tick all the right boxes
6. Self-help and 111
options
Simple flow guide
Geared towards
enticing patients
planning to call or
come to the
practice in to going
online, creating
both patient
convenience AND
practice efficiency
eConsult banner
linked to any
Practice website
Patient Experience
Generic templates
Administrative helpNew
New
16. Red-Flag questions
are embedded in
each questionnaire
to intercept patients
with serious
symptoms and
direct them to take
urgent action
immediately
eConsult process
20. Practice Workflow
Symptom
checkers
Self-help
videos and
articles
Sign-
posted
content
eConsultNHS 111
No Action
Required
No Action
Required
No Action
Required
No Action
Required
Admin monitor
shared
mailbox for
eConsult
reports
Task for
Clinician
40% Offered
Prescription
NHS
Mail
20% Telephone
Consultation
40% Offered
Appointment
Clinician
reviews
eConsult
report
Average 2.9 mins per eConsult
60% Managed remotely
Call
Patient
back
22. Benefits from the Pilot
Improved Access
1 in 5 patients used the website at least once
83% FFT and 95% state website is good or excellent
High uptake by under 45’s, ethnic minorities and 2/3 women
33% from mobile phones
Better Health Outcomes
Earlier treatment
Digital disinhibition e.g. depression, rectal bleeding
Red-flag questions prompt action e.g. cancer detection
Increased Practice Efficiency
1/3rd use self-help and 18% then self-manage
60% of eConsults closed remotely
Only 3% of eConsults due to supply-led demand
9 self-help uses for each eConsult generated
Easily accommodated in normal working day of GP
Commissioner Savings
14% of users said they would have gone to urgent care
3 for 1 return on investment e.g. Southwark CCG saved £360K
More time for complex cases = reduced LTC complications
6
Months
20
Practices
10
CCGs
133k
Patients
23. Testimonials
Easy to navigate and very informative
You may not need to come in at all
Saved a lot of time for me
More people would use it if they were aware
Technically very simple and no jargon
Much quicker with no waiting
Was able to go straight to pharmacist
Highly recommend as first port of call
Fantastic idea
I’m not a computer whizz, but really easy
Followed step by step on my mobile phone
Was a better option for me
What patients say…
24. Testimonials
What practices say…
What Commissioners say…
Media coverage
eConsult is the way forward in 21st Century patient access to primary care. Our patients like it as it
provides prompt, convenient access to address their concerns and needs. Our GPs like it as it as it
provides a time efficient and safe way to manage a wide range of patient health issues.
Dr Ajit Kadirgamar Clinical Lead for The Practice +
Giving patients the option of self-managing presenting conditions is definitely the way forward in
terms of extending patient choice and helping to manage the increasing demand faced by our GPs,
especially when this is supported by an option to eConsult if further assurance is required.
Feedback from patients using it in South Essex has been very positive … just wish I had this option at
my own GP practice in Kent!
Jeanette Hucey, Associate Director of Transformation Basildon and Brentwood CCG
Now available
to over 1M
patients in UK
25. Price/Features
• 63p per registered patient per annum
• £200 of patient promotional material per practice included
• GP Web Solutions website for each practice included (or integrated in to the
existing practice website)
• Remote Deployment
• 1-2-1 Remote Training (if required)
• 24/7 Telephone & Email Support
• Continual Product Development
• Continual Maintenance
• Secure Hosting
• CQC Approved
• Content powered by NHS Choices
26. 5 Steps to Go Live
1. You quantify
your
requirements
and inform us
We send
you the
Quote
2. You
Return the
Quote
Acceptance
form
We discuss
and confirm
your
requirements
3. You
confirm
details
online
We send
you the
Contract
4. You
sign the
Contract
5. Mobilise
•Choose promotional material
•Teams watch training video
We add
eConsult to
practices
websites
Go Live
Purchaser
EMIS Health
27. Future Developments
Better Content
• Pre-appointment and follow-up templates
Better Feedback
Pop-up, post-eConsult and patient surveys feed an automated
dashboard for practices and commissioners to log-in and review
Interoperability with all Clinical Software Systems
• eConsults sent directly into workflow manager in EMIS Web
• Read coding of data e.g. smoking and alcohol status
Integration with out of hours and urgent care services
• A&E and UCC versions of eConsult
• A&E and GP waiting room kiosk versions
• App for rapid access from smart devices
28. Summary
Many talk about how existing general practice is
unsustainable but few provide real solutions...
Better access
Better outcomes
Better use of practice resources
Commissioner savings
Access
Efficiency
Quality
