Characteristics and Outcomes of Physician-to-Physician Telephone Consultation Programs: Environmental Scan

BACKGROUND: Telephone consultations between physicians provide quick access to medical advice, allowing patients to be cared for by calling physicians in their local settings. OBJECTIVE: As part of a quality assurance study of a physician-to-physician consultation program in Alberta, Canada, this environmental scan aims to identify the characteristics and outcomes of physician-to-physician telephone consultation programs across several countries. METHODS: We searched 7 databases to identify English publications in 2007-2017 describing physician-to-physician consultations using telephones as the main technology. To identify Canadian programs, the literature search was supplemented with an additional internet search. RESULTS: The literature search yielded 2336 citations, of which 17 publications were included. Across 7 countries, 14 telephone consultation programs provided primary care providers with access to various specialists through hotlines, paging systems, or call centers. The programs reported on the avoidance of hospitalizations, emergency department visits and specialty visits, caller satisfaction with the telephone consultation, and cost avoidance. CONCLUSIONS: Telephone consultation programs between health care providers have facilitated access to specialist care and prevented acute care use.