First few Article Sentences
Have you ever been involved in a game of “phone tag” with someone? If so, you know the feeling of healthcare providers everywhere who struggle to connect with busy specialty care physicians to discuss a patient’s care.
This communication is particularly challenging for the primary care physicians (PCPs) at over eighty (80) community clinics in San Diego County who have little to no access to specialty care for their patients. These clinics are an integral part of the healthcare system in San Diego County, as they provide primary care for those who are uninsured or on public assistance programs such as Medi-Cal or County Medical Services. Historically, these PCPs have been forced to rely on inefficient systems, such as handwritten forms, faxes and phone calls, to coordinate specialty care referrals when they are available. To exacerbate the issue, they are now faced with a rapidly diminishing network of specialty care physicians who are willing to see the medically underserved due to poor reimbursement from various payers.