For many patients, navigating specialty care can be stressful. Long waits, extra travel, and uncertainty about whether a referral is even necessary often slow down care. eConsults are designed to change that. By connecting primary care providers (PCPs) with specialists electronically, eConsults give patients faster answers while keeping their trusted PCP at the center of care.
What an eConsult Really Is
An eConsult is a secure, electronic request from your primary care provider to a specialist. The PCP includes your health history, test results, and specific questions. In just a few days, the specialist responds with recommendations.
This process doesn’t replace specialists—it ensures their guidance is available when it’s most helpful.
Important: Patients cannot request eConsults directly. Your PCP determines if an eConsult is appropriate.
Empowering Primary Care
PCPs already know their patients best, but sometimes a case requires extra expertise. With eConsults, PCPs can:
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Act quickly on specialist guidance.
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Avoid unnecessary referrals, saving patients time and stress.
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Manage more of the patient’s care directly, with added confidence.
This strengthens the PCP–patient relationship and reduces delays in treatment.
Specialists Remain Essential
eConsults don’t replace specialists—they ensure their time is used where it’s most needed. If the reviewing specialist decides an in-person visit is required, the PCP can arrange that referral with greater clarity and purpose.
This collaboration means:
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Specialists see patients who truly need in-person evaluation.
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PCPs learn from each interaction, building expertise.
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Patients benefit from coordinated, team-based care.
Medicaid and Access to Care
For Medicaid patients in Colorado, eConsults are especially powerful. They reduce long wait times and improve access to specialists in communities where options are limited. Best of all, there is no added cost to the patient.
That means specialty-level care becomes more affordable, accessible, and equitable.
The Bottom Line
eConsults are not about replacing specialists—they’re about bridging the gap. They give PCPs the tools to act on specialist advice quickly, coordinate care more effectively, and keep patients at the center of every decision.
Have questions about how eConsults support both PCPs and specialists in Colorado? Contact our team anytime for more information.