"It's Really Overwhelming": Patient Perspectives on Care Coordination.

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Patient Experience
• Healthcare Quality

Background:

• Failures in care coordination negatively impact patients with complex health needs.
• Limited research exists on patient perspectives regarding care coordination across multiple providers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore patient satisfaction and dissatisfaction with care coordination.
• To identify factors influencing patient experiences with care coordination.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study using semistructured telephone interviews with 25 adult patients.
• Patients had multiple emergency department visits/hospitalizations or providers across health systems.
• Data analyzed using a modified grounded theory approach.

Main Results:

• Four themes emerged: perceptions of provider coordination, electronic health record roles, inter-system information exchange challenges, and support for care coordination.
• Patients highlighted significant communication barriers and inadequate support.
• Primary care providers were identified as a key source of support.

Conclusions:

• Patients face substantial barriers to effective care coordination.
• Enhancing team-based primary care models is essential.
• Prioritizing interoperable technology for health information exchange is critical for improving patient experience and care transition safety.