SHM Converge Scientific Abstract ePoster Gallery-"I Walk the Line" (Of Cortisol Levels): A Tele-Medicine Endocrinolgy Consult Pilot

Pdf Summary

Indiana University School of Medicine reported a successful pilot tele-endocrinology consultation program at a large suburban Midwestern community hospital. The program was created in response to a shortage of endocrinologists and the need for specialized endocrinology consultation services that were otherwise difficult to access.<br /><br />During the pilot, the team secured internal funding, identified optimal consultation times, and partnered with an endocrinologist. The service expanded over time from inpatient consults only to also include the emergency department observation unit, and consult requests were eventually available up to 7 days a week, though total clinician availability remained about 4 hours per week.<br /><br />Results showed an average of 7 consults per month during the pilot period, with weekly volume ranging from 4 to 11 consults. Hospitalists were surveyed before the pilot, 2 months after launch, and 6 months after launch, and responses improved across all questions, suggesting the program was well received and clinically useful.<br /><br />The consultation workflow allowed the endocrinologist and hospitalists to choose between an interprofessional chart-review consult and a virtual telemedicine visit. For virtual visits, coordination with nursing staff helped schedule the encounter, alert the endocrinologist’s iPad endpoint, and complete the visit documentation. For interprofessional consults, the endocrinologist reviewed the chart, discussed the case with the hospitalist, and wrote the note.<br /><br />The authors concluded that tele-endocrinology enabled collaborative management of complex patients without requiring transfer to another facility, improving access to care closer to home and supporting hospital bed stewardship. They plan to expand the program and use tele-visits to improve transitions from hospital discharge to outpatient follow-up.

Asset Subtitle

Ellen Klink

Meta Tag

Author List Ellen Klink, Michael Ober, Sarah Patterson, Stacie Bingaman

Category Innovations

Concept Tele-endocrinology

Concept Endocrinologist Shortage

Concept Consultation Access

Concept Patient Care Access

Concept Community Hospital

Distinguished Non-Finalist

Presenter Organization Indiana University Health West Hospital

Presenting Author Ellen Klink

Track Consultative Medicine

Keywords

tele-endocrinology

endocrinology consultation

telemedicine

hospitalist collaboration

inpatient consults

emergency department observation unit

specialty access

community hospital

bed stewardship

virtual visits

Tele-endocrinology

Endocrinologist Shortage

Consultation Access

Patient Care Access

Community Hospital