e-Consults: A Clinician's solution to improved care collaboration
An e-Consult enables clinicians to obtain prompt and efficient guidance on less complex clinical issues that involve data analysis and may not necessitate an in-person assessment.
For Clinicians, e-Consults provide timely access to specialist advice, potentially reducing unnecessary tests and visits. It simplifies care coordination, eliminates phone tag and provides documented guidance for both community and specialty clinicians.
Why EndoMD Health for e-Consults?
Reduce unnecessary referrals which improves resource allocation, and eliminates long referral backlogs
Clear, actionable guidance that expedites diagnosis and offers seamless follow-up options if further care is needed
Insurance-friendly model where cases can be managed within primary care, offering educational benefits to providers
How it Works ?
Get timely, expert guidance via secure electronic communication
Submit an e-Consult Request
Complete a secure online form with patient details and clinical questions.
Attach relevant lab results, growth charts and imaging (as applicable). Ensure that you have obtained patient/family consent to the e-Consult for subsequent billing by the specialist.
Specialist Review
One of our specialists will review the case within 2 business days.
You receive direct recommendation on diagnosis, guidance on next steps and management.
Next Steps
Use our guidance for in-office management, further follow-up, or a referral decision.
If a full pediatric endocrinology consultation is needed, seamless referral options are available.
Frequently Asked Questions
What conditions does EndoMD Health cover?
We treat a variety of endocrine disorders such as:
● Obesity and metabolic concerns
● Growth problems (e.g. slow growth, abnormal growth velocity)
● Pre-diabetes and Type 2 Diabetes
● Early or delayed puberty
● PCOS and menstrual irregularities
● Hypothyroidism
● Questions on lab results or endocrine-related symptoms
What are appropriate e-Consult questions?
Focused questions that a specialist can reasonably answer without knowledge of the patient’s entire medical history, and without an in-person evaluation.
What are the geographical requirements for e-Consults?
We are currently accepting e-Consults for patients residing in Virginia and Maryland only. We will soon be accepting patients in other states. Our goal is to provide accessible care for all pediatric patients across the nation!
Who is responsible for informing the patient about
e-Consults?
The requesting provider is responsible for notifying the patient/family and must confirm the patient/family agrees to the e-Consult and subsequent billing by the specialist. This consent is helpful in managing the patient’s expectations and should be documented in the requesting providers’ record.
The requesting provider must indicate they have obtained consent when submitting the e-Consult.
For additional consent and billing information, please review the Tips for Gathering Patient/Family Consent document.
Who updates the patient and implements any specialty recommendations from the e-Consult?
The e-Consult requesting provider maintains medical management for the patient. They own the communication with the patient.
What is the benefit of an e-Consult?
For Providers:
• Enables improved information exchange between e-Consult requesting providers and specialists by utilizing structured templates incorporating key clinical questions and data
• Improves access for higher acuity patients by addressing lower-complexity questions more efficiently without unnecessary visits
For Patients:
• Timely access and input from specialists
• Potential for decrease in tests and unnecessary visits
• Simplified care coordination since the referring provider maintains management responsibility
• Less travel to appointments and time away from work
Does EndoMD Health charge for e-Consults?
Yes, EndoMD Health will charge/ bill for e-Consults.
Insurance patients whose plan covers e-Consults may need to pay a portion of the service fee based on their specific insurance coverage (co-pay). While CPT Codes 99451 and 99446-99449 are the most likely charge codes to be utilized, EndoMD Health will ensure appropriate charge codes are applied based on the specific level of service provided in each e-Consult, which could be different than those listed here.
For out-of-network patients, EndoMD Health charges $75 per e-Consult, which is less than the charge for an in-person visit.
In all cases, the patient and/or family must confirm they would like to proceed before a provider can submit the e-Consult request. Check our tips for receiving patient consent here.
Can pictures and other attachments be included with an e-Consult?
Yes, pictures and documents that may contain notes, lab, or other diagnostic results can be attached to e-Consult requests. There is a limit to the size - a maximum of 100 MB. Allowed file types are doc, jpeg, mp3, mpg, pdf, png, tif, txt, and wav.
How will the referring provider know when the specialist has reviewed the e-Consult?
The e-Consult requesting provider will receive an email message from Elation when the specialist has responded to the e-Consult. They can expect this response within approximately two business days. Requesting providers can update their email address in Elation and if desired enable text alerts with the addition of a cell phone number.
I have an urgent request. Can I get an e-Consult response in less than 2 business days?
No, e-Consults are for non-urgent requests only and will have up to a 2 business day turnaround time. It should not be used for urgent medical questions, or for non-clinical questions.
Still have questions?
