Communication between primary care and physician specialist: is it improving?
B Biagetti1, A Aulinas1, B Dalama1
1Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Vall d'Hebron Hospital, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
Background And Objective:
Efforts have recently been made in Spain to improve the communication model between primary care and specialized care. The aim of our study was to analyze the impact of a change in the communication model between the two areas when comparing a traditional system to a consulting system in terms of satisfaction of general practitioners and the number of patient referrals.
Methods:
A questionnaire was used to assess the point of view on the relations with the endocrinologist team of 20 general practitioners from one primary care center at baseline and 18 months after the implementation of the new method of communication. In addition, we counted the number of referrals during the two periods.
Results:
We analyzed 30 questionnaires; 13 before and 17 after the consulting system was established. Consulting system was preferred to other alternatives as a way of communication with endocrinologists. After the consulting system was implemented, general practitioners were more confident in treating hypothyroidism and diabetes. There was a decrease in the number of patient referrals to specialized care from 93.8 to 34.6 per month after implementation of the consultant system.
Conclusions:
The consultant system was more efficient in resolving problems and responding to general practitioners than the traditional system. General practitioners were more confident in self-management of hypothyroidism and diabetes. A very large decrease in the number of patient referrals was observed after implementation of the consultant system.
Related Concept Videos
01:11Secondary Healthcare System
01:21Tertiary Healthcare System
01:21Interdisciplinary Care: The Health Care Team-I
Physicians
The physician's primary responsibility is to diagnose illness and direct the medical or surgical treatment of the condition. The authority to admit patients to a healthcare agency or institution and practice care within that setting is granted to physicians by the healthcare agency or institution...
01:30Primary Healthcare Services
In 1978, international leaders convened in Alma-Ata, Kazakhstan, for what would be a pivotal event in global health. The Alma-Ata Declaration was the first to call...
01:21Barriers to Effective Communication II
Cultural barriers:
Differences in values, beliefs, religion, knowledge, and tradition can significantly impact communication. Awareness of nonverbal cues is critical, especially when conversing with a patient from a different culture. What appears appropriate in one culture may be inappropriate in another.
Semantic barriers:
As a result of their tendency to use...
01:15Methods of Documentation VI: Case Management Model
For example, a patient with a chronic...