How eConsults Empower Primary Care, Expand Access for the Underserved & Unlock Savings w/ ConferMED’s Dr. Daren Anderson

From geography to network adequacy and endless waitlists, getting seen by a specialist can be tricky. And the challenges are even more pronounced for underserved communities – who may be hours away from the provider they need to see, or whose insurance might not be accepted by specialists. Then, after waiting months for an appointment, it may turn out to be one of the many specialist referrals that are unnecessary. There’s a better way: eConsults.In this episode, MTVA sits down with Dr. Daren Anderson, the President and Founder of ConferMED, a not-for-profit telehealth company that connects primary care practices across the country with specialists through virtual “eConsults”. “Using an eConsult platform like ConferMED allows you to bring the specialist and the subspecialist into that care team virtually.”Dr. Anderson shares his journey – from primary care provider at a federally qualified health center, to leading the Weitzman Institute, and eventually founding ConferMED, which now helps improve access to specialists across 32 states. With eConsults, primary care providers are empowered to provide better care without unnecessary referrals, specialists can support more patients efficiently, and patients get answers more quickly. Dr. Anderson and his team have also published research showing that eConsults can generate cost savings for the healthcare system.  “We’re seeing more and more primary care practices looking for eConsult solutions because it makes sense for everybody, not just the underserved. And I kind of like that story, because we figured out something for the underserved that actually makes great sense for everybody else as well, and the underserved got it first!”To learn more about the proposed cuts to Medicaid, check out our episode with Stephanie Noriea.Studies on eConsults referenced by Dr. Anderson:https://www.mathematica.org/news/econsults-can-lower-costs-and-improve-access-to-specialty-carehttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26951588/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30633678/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29350511/http://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33719584/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29061478/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37753619/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37864170/————————————All episodes of MTVA Unscripted can be found⁠ ⁠here⁠⁠. | Sign up for our email list here.Thank you to our MTVA Trade Members and Ally Members whose support helps make this podcast possible!  As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, we rely on support from our grassroots network to advance our mission of creating a value-based health system with high-quality patient outcomes at a reasonable cost. For more information and to join us, visit our website: https://www.movingtovalue.org/membership.