1065 Outcomes In Sleep Apnea Patients With Novel Econsult Referral Pathway

Abstract

Introduction: Improved efficiency of OSA has been shown to lead to decreased risk of cardiovascular disease processes. Access to our academic sleep medicine clinic is limited, with an average wait time of almost three months for new in-person patient visits. In 2017, an asynchronous electronic consult (eConsult) process was developed that allows a patient to be seen by their primary care provider, who can then request an electronic health record (EHR)-based internal referral. The chart is then reviewed by the sleep physician, who either makes recommendations within the EHR or schedules an in-person visit. Utilization of eConsults in other specialties has been shown to improve wait times to access specialist services as well as improved communication between primary care providers and specialists, but no study to date has examined sleep medicine or neurology. Method(s): A retrospective review was conducted on all patients referred to the sleep medicine clinic via the eConsult program from January to October 2017. Data regarding time from eConsult request to sleep provider response was extracted from our EHR. The average time from PCP referral to appointment in the neurology sleep clinic was compared to the average time from PCP referral to the response time by eConsult by the sleep medicine physician. Baseline blood pressure, weight, hospital admission status were compared to final status. Result(s): PCPs submitted 142 eConsults to the sleep medicine service from January 2017 through October 2017. The median specialist response time was 2 days versus the average consult response time of 3 months. Conclusion(s): PCPs submitted 142 eConsults to the sleep medicine service from January 2017 through October 2017. The median specialist response time was 2 days versus the average consult response time of 3 months.