Inland Empire Health Plan has been leading in health information technology, health information exchange and telehealth projects in the Inland Empire (San Bernardino and Riverside Counties). Together, all three support patient-to-provider and provider-to-provider communication, and provide for total care coordination towards achieving a patient centered medical home.
In response to the limited human and financial resources in the clinic community, Inland Empire Health Plan is working closely with Arrowhead Regional Medical Center and Riverside University Health System to develop a single eConsult platform for San Bernardino and Riverside Counties’ clinics in order for providers to have a single workflow.
This partnership expands eConsult to multiple safety-net clinics and will improve specialty care access for Medi-Cal, uninsured and underinsured patients.
In 2017, Inland Empire Health Plan placed a request for proposal for an eConsult and Referral Management Software Solution and engaged WISE Healthcare to implement eConsult to over 50 clinics within the initial 24-month period. The purpose of Inland Empire Health Plan eConsult was to demonstrate the successful consultation and collaboration that results in a PCPs acquiring enough diagnostic input from the specialist to inform and or treat the patient prior to a visit to a specialist and/or eliminate the need for a referral to the specialist.
eConsult implementation in LA County has greatly improved timely access specialty care and dramatically reduced no-show rates. With these and other positive results and lessons learned, eConsult offers improved access and quality of care for patients and improved efficiencies and potential cost savings for payors and healthcare providers.
This project is funded by Inland Empire Health Plan and will benefit low-income and uninsured residents of San Bernardino and Riverside Counties.