Los Angeles County sees success with eConsult program

Online tools enable primary care physicians, specialists to communicate more seamlessly

 As it becomes more difficult to book appointments with specialists, doctors in the U.S. are turning to the Web to help speed the process for patients.

In Los Angeles County, local officials created a program called eConsult to streamline the referral process. The program, in use at L.A. Care Health Plan, allows for interaction online between physicians and specialists to exchange medical records and images, according to a Kaiser Health News report.

The program was implemented three years ago, and while it hasn't solved all problems, things have improved because of it, according to KHN.