LONDON, January 3, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

Connecting GPs with Consultants

Leading full service web design company Energy House Digital has developed bright, easy-to-use website iConsult which aims to make referring patients easier for GPs and thus reduces the workload of busy hospital departments while providing communication channels between GPs and Specialist Consultants. Initially connecting with the Centre for Gastroenterology at the Royal Free Hospital, the new website and referral service is supported by the Royal Free Charity.

iConsult aims to make the referral of patients from the GP to the Specialist easy, quick and efficient. GPs can use iConsult to make direct contact with Specialist consultants at the Royal Free Hospital as well as a resource packed with management tips, frequently asked questions and common clinical queries. A tracked messaging system on iConsult forwards e-mails to the Specialists, while a booking system for video conference or phone calls is also provided.

Energy House Digital built iConsult on the basis of scalable web development platform Drupal. The secure code of open-source content management framework Drupal makes sure that sensitive patient information is safely stored and communicated only to authenticated users. Thanks to the multi-user capabilities of Drupal, iConsult provides safe content for registered users while giving access to open content for site visitors who are not logged in. Administrators working with iConsult can update and customize the site to the specific needs of their individual departments. While iConsult is presently launching as a pilot project in conjunction with the Centre for Gastroenterology, adaptation for other areas of medical expertise is under development and will be rolled out in the near future.

"The iConsult portal has been commissioned to help the Centre for Gastroenterology at The Royal Free Hospital, London, communicate with and support general practitioners and their patients", explains Tim Rayne, Project Lead iConsult, The Royal Free Charity.  "iConsult is different to other websites of this nature as it offers a number of different channels of communication, which can be used incrementally from online common clinical queries, through to optimal referral advice, to e-mail support, and ultimately to telephone advice or a video call."

The site records time spent on the website by GPs and can be used as a resource for Continuing Professional Development  by providing a printable log of site visits and use. Providing interaction channels, iConsult also works as a specialist support system with the intention of involving specialists in the early stages of patient care by supplying patient information. "We aim to improve patient experience by planning and knowing more about them before they attend hospital so that they can be offered the most convenient investigations with the fewest inconvenient journeys to hospital", adds Rayne. "Communication through iConsult is pivotal in allowing us to make this ideal a reality."

About Energy House Digital

Energy House Digital (eHd) is a full service web design agency that specialises in delivering customizable web solutions to the healthcare sector. As one of the leading web design agencies in London, eHd is committed to developing the key digital solutions to organisations and institutions in the area of healthcare and medicine.

For more information, visit http://www.energyhousedigital.co.uk/, e-mail hi@energyhousedigital.com, or call +44(0)20-7566-6312.