Safety-net settings across the country have grappled with providing adequate access to specialty care services. San Francisco General\r\nHospital and Trauma Center, serving as the city�s primary safety-net hospital, has also had to struggle with the same issue. With\r\nHealthy San Francisco, the City and County of San Francisco�s Universal Healthcare mandate, the increased demand for specialty\r\ncare services has placed a further strain on the system.With the recent passage of California Proposition 1D, infrastructural funds\r\nare now set aside to assist in connecting major hospitals with primary care clinics in remote areas all over the state of California,\r\nusing telemedicine. Based on a selected sample of key informant interviews with local staff physicians, this study provides further\r\ninsight into the current process of e-referral which uses electronic communication for making referrals to specialty care. It also\r\nidentifies key services for telemedicine in primary and specialty care settings within the San Francisco public health system. This\r\nstudy concludes with proposals for a framework that seek to increase collaboration between the referring primary care physician\r\nand specialist, to prioritize institution of these key services for telemedicine.
Loading....