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Related Experiment Videos

Communication breakdown in the outpatient referral process.

T K Gandhi1, D F Sittig, M Franklin

  • 1Division of General Internal Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.

Journal of General Internal Medicine
|October 13, 2000
PubMed
Summary

Physician communication during referrals is poor, with many primary care physicians (PCPs) and specialists dissatisfied due to untimely and incomplete information, impacting patient care.

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Area of Science:

  • Medical communication
  • Healthcare systems analysis
  • Physician satisfaction

Background:

  • Effective interphysician communication is crucial for seamless patient referrals.
  • Current referral processes often face challenges impacting care coordination.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess primary care physicians' (PCPs) and specialists' satisfaction with interphysician communication.
  • To identify key issues within the existing physician referral system.

Main Methods:

  • Mail and e-mail surveys were distributed to PCPs and specialists at an academic tertiary care center.
  • Surveys evaluated satisfaction with the referral process and collected real-time referral data.

Main Results:

  • A majority of PCPs (63%) and a significant portion of specialists (35%) reported dissatisfaction with the referral process.

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  • Key problems identified include lack of timely information and inadequate referral letter content.
  • Many specialists received no prior information for referrals, and PCPs often experienced delays in receiving specialist reports.

    • Conclusions:

    • Significant issues exist in the physician referral process, including dissatisfaction, poor timeliness, and insufficient communication content.
    • Improving interphysician communication in referrals can enhance physician satisfaction and patient care quality.