JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Electronic consultations, which use store-and-forward transfer of clinical information between a primary care physician (PCP) and a specialist, improve access to specialty care. Adoption of electronic consultations is beginning in pediatric health care systems, but little is known about parent perspectives, informational needs, and preferences for interaction with this new model of care.

Objective:

We aimed to examine parent perspectives about electronic consultations, including perceived benefits and risks, anticipated information needs, and preferences for parent engagement with electronic consultations.

Methods:

We recruited caregivers of pediatric patients ever referred for in-person specialty care at an academic primary care center. Caregivers participated in semi-structured interview about electronic consultations, including general perspectives, desired information, and preferences for parental engagement.

Results:

Interviewees (n=20) anticipated that electronic consultations would reduce the time burden of specialty care on families and had the potential to improve the integrity and availability of clinical information, but interviewees also expressed concern about data confidentiality. The most detailed information desired by interviewees about electronic consultations related to data security. Interviewees expressed concern that electronic consultations could exclude parents their child’s health care decisions. Interviewees saw value in the potential ability to track the consultation status or to participate in the consultation dialogue, but were more ambivalent about the idea of read-only access to consultation documentation.

Conclusions:

Conclusions:

Parents identified potential risks and benefits of pediatric electronic consultations, with implications for communication with families about electronic consultations and for incorporation of features to enhance parent engagement.