Specialty care is in short supply throughout California, as statewide data shows that Medi-Cal enrollees are twice as likely as those with employer-based insurance to find difficulty seeing a specialist. Barriers in accessing specialty care is even more acute for Medi-Cal www.medi-cal.ca.gov enrollees in rural areas.
The California Health Care Foundation’s Health Innovation Fund has invested $750,000 in RubiconMD http://rubiconmd.com. The company’s technology platform connects primary care providers to specialists to enable timely expert clinical advice through Electronic Consultations (eConsults), Now primary care providers are able to obtain access to specialists participating in Medi-Cal managed care plans.
eConsults on RubiconMD are managed through a web-based platform that matches primary care inquiries to specialists with an average response time of four hours or less. eConsults empower primary care providers to make more informed decisions on patient care plans and also improves productivity. Studies have shown that eConsults can reduce specialty referrals by 40 percent and decrease wait times by 50 percent.
Other facts about eConsults:
- The platform contains information on 100 available specialties and sub specialties
- Algorithm matches eConsults to appropriate specialists factoring in availability, research focus, and ratings
- Provides access to on-demand organizational insights and metrics for administrators
- Provides an easy and HIPAA-compliant way to unload photos and records
Go to www.chcf.org/innovation-fund for more information on the CHCF Health Innovation
Fund