Table 3.
Codes and frequencies for e-consult satisfaction domains identified during interviews with 15 patients, 15 PCPs, and 4 specialty physicians who utilized the e-consult process.a
| Codes | # of Patients conveying theme |
# of PCPs conveying theme |
# of Specialists conveying theme | Total # of participants conveying theme | |
| Overall satisfaction |
|
|
|
|
|
| 1. Communication | 8 | 3 | 3 | 14 | |
| 2. Timeliness of care | 1 | 7 | 2 | 10 | |
| 3. Quality of care | 4 | 4 | 0 | 8 | |
| 4. Travel to VA Pittsburgh Medical Center | 1 | 5 | 1 | 7 | |
|
|
5. Experience with e-consults | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 |
| 6. Access to specialist care | 0 | 4 | 1 | 5 | |
| 7. Electronic medical records system | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
| 8. Health-related outcomes | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 9. Option of face-to-face or e-consult | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 10. Preferring face-to-face visit | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| 11. Coordination of e-consults | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 12. e-Consult is easy to use | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 13. Missing | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| Quality |
|
|
|
|
|
| 1. Quality of care | 4 | 4 | 0 | 8 | |
| 2. Access to specialist care | 0 | 5 | 1 | 6 | |
| 3. Timeliness of care | 0 | 5 | 1 | 6 | |
| 4. Communication | 4 | 1 | 0 | 5 | |
| 5. Travel to VA Pittsburgh Medical Center | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | |
| 6. Patient satisfaction with care | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | |
| 7. Health-related outcomes | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
| 8. Ensure recommendation implementation | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
|
|
9. Experience with e-consults | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 10. Coordination of e-consults | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
|
|
11. Patient compliance | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 12. Time required for e-consult | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| 13. Appropriateness of case for e-consult | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 14. Option of face-to-face or e-consult | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 15. No answer | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
| Time |
|
|
|
|
|
| 1. Time required for e-consult | 4 | 9 | 4 | 17 | |
| 2. Travel to VA Pittsburgh Medical Center | 7 | 2 | 0 | 9 | |
| 3. Timeliness of care | 2 | 4 | 1 | 7 | |
| 4. Communication | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | |
|
|
5. Electronic medical records system | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
|
|
6. Health-related outcomes | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 7. Coordination of e-consults | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| 8. No answer | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 9. Missing | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| Access |
|
|
|
|
|
| 1. Timeliness of care | 0 | 6 | 2 | 8 | |
| 2. Travel to VA Pittsburgh Medical Center | 0 | 6 | 2 | 8 | |
| 3. Access to specialist care | 4 | 1 | 1 | 6 | |
| 4. Communication | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| 5. Clinic time available | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | |
|
|
6. Appropriateness of case for e-consult | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 7. Electronic medical records system | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 8. Add more specialists | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 9. Option of face-to-face or e-consult | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 10. No answer | 6 | 2 | 0 | 8 | |
| Safety |
|
|
|
|
|
| 1. Appropriateness of case for e-consult | 0 | 5 | 3 | 8 | |
| 2. Quality of care | 2 | 4 | 1 | 7 | |
|
|
3. Experience with e-consults | 4 | 2 | 1 | 7 |
| 4. Communication | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 | |
| 5. Option of face-to-face or e-consult | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | |
| 6. Travel to VA Pittsburgh Medical Center | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | |
| 7. Ensure recommendation implementation | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | |
|
|
8. Access to specialist care | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 9. Electronic medical records system | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 10. No Answer | 6 | 2 | 0 | 8 | |
| Expectations |
|
|
|
|
|
| 1. No expectations | 8 | 2 | 1 | 11 | |
|
|
2. Timeliness of care | 3 | 6 | 2 | 11 |
| 3. Quality of care | 1 | 8 | 0 | 9 | |
| 4. Communication | 5 | 1 | 1 | 7 | |
|
|
5. Travel to VA Pittsburgh Medical Center | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| 6. Access to specialist care | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | |
| 7. Improve face-to-face consults | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| 8. e-Consult is easy to use | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 9. Appropriateness of case for e-consult | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| 10. Somewhat skeptical | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 11. Experience with e-consults | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | |
| Confidence |
|
|
|
|
|
| 1. Quality of care | 7 | 6 | 1 | 14 | |
| 2. Experience with e-consults | 2 | 8 | 0 | 10 | |
| 3. Communication | 5 | 3 | 1 | 9 | |
| 4. Appropriateness of case for e-consult | 1 | 4 | 1 | 6 | |
| 5. Timeliness of care | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | |
| 6. Health-related outcomes | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
| 7. Travel to VA Pittsburgh Medical Center | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| 8. No answer | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| Intent to use e-consult in the future |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1. Experience with e-consults | 0 | 5 | 1 | 6 |
| 2. Quality of care | 0 | 3 | 2 | 5 | |
| 3. Availability of e-consults | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |
| 4. Travel to VA Pittsburgh Medical Center | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | |
| 5. Communication | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| 6. Appropriateness of case for e-consult | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | |
| 7. If specialist is asked by PCP | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | |
| 8. Timeliness of care | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
| 9. Option of face-to-face or e-consult | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | |
| 10. Electronic medical records system | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| 11. Awareness of e-consults | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 12. If enough specialist personnel | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| 13. No answer | 10 | 1 | 0 | 11 | |
a A given segment of conversation could include one or more codes from each category.