Evaluating communication between pediatric primary care physicians and hospitalists

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Healthcare
• Physician Communication
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Effective communication between pediatric primary care physicians (PCPs) and hospitalists is crucial for seamless patient care transitions.
• Existing literature highlights potential communication gaps during hospital discharge, impacting continuity of care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess and compare the satisfaction and preferences of PCPs and hospitalists regarding inter-provider communication.
• To identify discrepancies in perceived responsibility for post-discharge care between PCPs and hospitalists.

Main Methods:

• Development and administration of two parallel surveys (PCP and hospitalist versions) with identical questions.
• Statistical analysis to compare satisfaction levels and opinions on care responsibility between the two provider groups.

Main Results:

• PCPs reported significantly lower overall satisfaction with communication compared to hospitalists (P < .01).
• Hospitalists were more likely than PCPs to assign responsibility for pending labs, adverse events, and status changes to the PCP post-discharge.
• Significant differences (P < .01) were observed in assigning responsibility for pending labs (65% vs 49%), adverse events (85% vs 67%), and status changes (85% vs 69%).

Conclusions:

• Incongruent views on post-discharge care responsibility between PCPs and hospitalists pose significant patient safety risks.
• Improved, consistent, timely, and informative communication, with clear delineation of responsibilities at discharge, is essential for successful hospital-to-primary care transitions.