Patient perceptions of inter-provider coordination of care

As the United States population ages, a majority of patients are seeing multiple providers to treat their conditions, including alternative care providers. The purpose of this study was to compare patient ratings of inter-provider coordination of care. The study examined patient ratings of care between their doctor and (1) other doctors (n=36,230), (2) pharmacists (n=37,604), and (3) alternative care providers (n=8,698). It also attempted to identify member and provider characteristics with low ratings of coordination. Average rating scores were 8.4 (out of 10) for coordination with other doctors, 8.1 for coordination with pharmacists, and 6.4 for coordination with alternative care providers. Among alternative care providers, coordination was highest for Hawaiian healing and lowest for acupuncture and chiropractic services. Efforts to improve coordination of care are essential to ensure high quality care.