Table 1.

Characteristics of four health systems

Name	Geographic area	Type of organization	Patient population served annually	Type of electronic consultation and/or referral system	Year implemented	Technology platform
Champlain BASE eConsult service	Eastern Ontario	Community with non-affiliated PCP and specialist practices	1.3 million	independent electronic consultation system	2009 proof of concept; 2011 spread	Microsoft Sharepoint collaboration space on private web network
Mayo Clinic	Campuses in Rochester, MN; Scottsdale AZ; and Jacksonville, FL	Integrated academic medical center	1.3 million	parallel electronic consultation and referral systems	2008	embedded into enterprise-wide EMR
San Francisco Health Network	San Francisco, California	urban safety-net with affiliated PCPs and specialists	100,000	integrated electronic consultation and referral system	2005 pilot; 2007 spread	software application that is embedded with the hospital EMR but not all ambulatory EMRs
Veterans Administration	United States	Integrated public system	6 million	parallel electronic consultation and referral systems	2011	embedded into enterprise-wide EMR