'Mass General Brigham to expand specialty consult program'

 Somerville, Mass.-based Mass General Brigham will expand its eConsult program, offering patients the opportunity to provide annual preemptive consent that will allow physicians to consult specialists regarding diagnoses and care decisions, without requiring an in-person appointment. 

The health system will begin to bill payers for these eConsult services in October, according to a Sept. 19 news release shared with Becker’s. 

The move will “help patients receive faster, more efficient care, avoid unnecessary appointments and ultimately lower their health care costs,” the release said. 

Since its launch in 2014, 87% of consults through the program have allowed patients to avoid a separate specialist appointment, with more than 58,000 consults completed in fiscal year 2024.

https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/care-coordination/mass-general-brigham-to-expand-specialty-consult-program/