General Practitioner Use of e-Consultation to Consult Hospital Specialists: Interview Study to Obtain Physician's Perceptions About Digital Interprofessional Communication

Background: In recent years, tasks have shifted from specialized hospital care to primary care, leading to both advantages and challenges for general practitioners (GPs). A frequently mentioned tool to face these challenges is e-consultation, a form of asynchronous digital interprofessional communication between GPs and hospital specialists. Objective: The objective of this study was to gain insight into GPs' and hospital specialists' views and experiences of e-consultation. Methods: We interviewed 47% (15/32) GPs and 53% (17/32) hospital specialists and performed a thematic analysis. Results: We found that both GPs and hospital specialists experience a positive effect on the quality of care and collaboration between GPs and hospital specialists. Positive effects were reported on the accessibility of care, efficiency of care, and relationship between the GP and the patient. Furthermore, communication between GP and hospital specialist became more efficient, and e-consultation offered educational value for the GP. Certain improvements are needed to further optimize e-consultation, regarding applicability, communication, and training purposes. Conclusions: In the future, clinicians and policy makers can use the insights gained from this study to further optimize and implement e-consultation in clinical practice.