Psychiatry eConsultant


Lead: Daniel Fulford
Collaborators: Christina Mangurian, Delphine Tuot, Hamilton Holt, Liz Goldman
Health Delivery System Partner: San Francisco Health Network

In collaboration with our partners at the San Francisco Department of Public Health, we recently conducted a pilot evaluation of an electronic consultation and referral program for psychiatry: Psychiatry eReferral. This unique program provides primary care providers with direct access to psychiatry specialists, all embedded within the electronic medical record. Given the lack of timely access to psychiatry specialty care among patients in the safety net—as well few opportunities for primary care providers to get expert consultation on detection and treatment of mental illness—this program has the potential to make a significant impact on patient care. Our goal in this pilot evaluation is to assess the acceptability and feasibility of such an approach. To do so, we are collecting information on the number and types of consults initiated by primary care providers, as well as providers’ opinions about the program. The insights we glean from this evaluation will help serve to inform the next phases of psychiatry eReferral dissemination and implementation efforts across the San Francisco Health Network.