Table 2.

The nine emerging themes from the PCP survey responses.

Theme	Frequency of responses n (%)	Illustrative quote
Pervasiveness of problematic specialist wait times	27 (17%)	I’ve found that you have to beg to be considered to be seen.
Managing beyond scope while waiting for specialist care	35 (22%)	I now have to go outside my comfort zone and treat what I normally don’t feel is in the scope of my practice.
Consequences for patients due to specialist wait times	17 (11%)	Patients become sicker and in more pain and reduced mobility while they are waiting.
Managing patient expectations while waiting for specialist care	10 (6%)	Spent time explaining to a patient why a referral has not resulted in visits.
Scheduling repeat visits to meet needs of patients	14 (9%)	Repeat visits for symptoms management limits the number of new patients I can see.
“Lost time” to manage patients waiting for specialist access	25 (16%)	Additional time chasing appointments, redirecting referrals to other providers/jurisdictions (with time/effort to assess relative wait times/availability).
Additional work strategizing ways to access specialist care for patients	13 (8%)	I do not refer anyone to GI as it gives patients false hope that they ever would be seen. Rather utilize surgeons for scope.
Provider experience of burnout, frustration and stress due to additional burden of delayed specialist care	13 (8%)	Feel left out in the cold with very little support for me to support patients.
Recommendations for managing and accessing specialist care	2 (1%)	Need an e-consultant solution.