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A project is now underway in Los Angeles that will improve the speed and efficiency with which Los Angeles residents receive medical care. LA Care started the eConsult project in preparation for the expected increase of new patients at local clinics due to health care reform and other program implementations. Results from a successful preliminary pilot project suggest that eConsult will result in reduced wait times and fewer unnecessary face-to-face visits with specialists.

Tarzana Treatment Centers is pleased to be participating in the eConsult project. It is another way we remain on the cutting edge of healthcare information technology.

Technology in healthcare is advancing with big leaps since the turn of the century. With greater security, telemedicine is fast becoming a necessary tool for health care providers. For example, store-and-forward data transfers allow for simple and secure communication between providers. LA Care’s eConsult project uses store-and-forward technology via a web interface for Primary Care Providers (PCP) to exchange patient information with specialists.

Instead of giving a patient a direct referral to a specialist, the PCP sends an eConsult request to the specialist. The specialist is notified of the request and can ask further questions of the PCP and send treatment information back to the PCP or recommend that the patient come in for a visit with the specialist. This is an over-simple example because some specialties will require more back and forth communication between the PCP and specialist.. In many cases, though, patients will no longer need to wait for an appointment with a specialist to get input from a specialist about their condition..

An 18 month preliminary pilot project conducted by LA Care resulted in an approximate 60% reduction in appointment wait times. About half of the specialty referral requests were resolved using eConsult rather than requiring a face-to-face visit with the specialist. Specialists were able to respond quickly, and PCPs felt better equipped to address their patients’ specialty needs. More details about the project can be found at this link:

Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles provides a full array of health care services including adult and youth alcohol and drug treatment. We specialize in treatment for mental health and substance use disorders, and have two primary medical care clinics in the San Fernando Valley and Antelope Valley. If you or a loved one needs help with alcohol dependence, drug addiction, or co-occurring mental health disorders, please call us now at 888-777-8565 or contact us using our secure contact form.

Telemedicine services are also available with online medical care, online mental health treatment, and online alcohol and drug treatment.

Southern California Locations for Alcohol and Drug Treatment

Tarzana Treatment Centers has locations all over Southern California in Los Angeles County. Other than our central location in Tarzana, we have facilities in Lancaster in the Antelope Valley, Long Beach, and in Northridge and Reseda in the San Fernando Valley.