Communication Gaps Persist Between Primary Care and Specialist Physicians.

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Medical Informatics
• Physician Communication

Background:

• Physician-to-physician communication is crucial for patient care continuity.
• Previous studies indicated significant communication deficits between referring physicians and consultants.
• The widespread adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) was hypothesized to improve inter-physician communication.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess current primary care physicians' (PCPs) perceptions of communication with other physicians.
• To compare current communication levels with historical data from 2008.
• To determine if EHRs have impacted inter-physician communication.

Main Methods:

• Utilized survey data collected in 2019 from primary care physicians.
• Assessed PCPs' perceptions regarding communication timeliness at referral and post-consultation.
• Compared 2019 findings with similar survey data from 2008.

Main Results:

• Significant communication gaps between physicians persist in 2019.
• PCPs reported ongoing issues with communication at the time of referral.
• Communication challenges also remained evident after patient consultations.

Conclusions:

• The dissemination of EHRs has not demonstrably improved inter-physician communication.
• Persistent communication deficits highlight a need for systemic interventions.
• Ensuring consistent physician communication remains a critical challenge in healthcare delivery.