Abstract
IntroductionThe goal of this study was to characterize current practices in the transition of care between the emergency department and primary care setting, with an emphasis on the use of the electronic medical record (EMR).MethodsUsing literature review and modified Delphi technique, we created and tested a pilot survey to evaluate for face and content validity. The final survey was then administered face-to-face at eight different clinical sites across the country. A total of 52 emergency physicians (EP) and 49 primary care physicians (PCP) were surveyed and analyzed. We performed quantitative analysis using chi-square test. Two independent coders performed a qualitative analysis, classifying answers by pre-defined themes (inter-rater reliability > 80%). Participants’ answers could cross several pre-defined themes within a given question.ResultsEPs were more likely to prefer telephone communication compared with PCPs (30/52 [57.7%] vs. 3/49 [6.1%] P < 0.0001), whereas PCPs were more likely to prefer using the EMR for discharge communication compared with EPs (33/49 [67.4%] vs. 13/52 [25%] p < 0.0001). EPs were more likely to report not needing to communicate with a PCP when a patient had a benign condition (23/52 [44.2%] vs. 2/49 [4.1%] p < 0.0001), but were more likely to communicate if the patient required urgent follow-up prior to discharge from the ED (33/52 [63.5%] vs. 20/49 [40.8%] p = 0.029). When discussing barriers to effective communication, 51/98 (52%) stated communication logistics, followed by 49/98 (50%) who reported setting/environmental constraints and 32/98 (32%) who stated EMR access was a significant barrier.ConclusionSignificant differences exist between EPs and PCPs in the transition of care process. EPs preferred telephone contact synchronous to the encounter whereas PCPs preferred using the EMR asynchronous to the encounter. Providers believe EP-to-PCP contact is important for improving patient care, but report varied expectations and multiple barriers to effective communication. This study highlights the need to optimize technology for an effective transition of care from the ED to the outpatient setting.
Highlights
The goal of this study was to characterize current practices in the transition of care between the emergency department and primary care setting, with an emphasis on the use of the electronic medical record (EMR)
emergency physicians (EP) were more likely to prefer telephone communication compared with primary care physician (PCP) (30/52 [57.7%] vs. 3/49 [6.1%] P < 0.0001), whereas PCPs were more likely to prefer using the EMR for discharge communication compared with EPs (33/49 [67.4%] vs. 13/52 [25%] p < 0.0001)
EPs were more likely to report not needing to communicate with a PCP when a patient had a benign condition (23/52 [44.2%] vs. 2/49 [4.1%] p < 0.0001), but were more likely to communicate if the patient required urgent follow-up prior to discharge from the emergency department (ED) (33/52 [63.5%] vs. 20/49 [40.8%] p = 0.029)
Summary
Given the increasing complexity of medical care and the limitations that some patients may have due to language fluency or health literacy, the expectation of high-fidelity information transfer through discharge instructions alone is unrealistic in many cases.[2] Prior studies have looked at handoffs between emergency physicians (EP) at shift change, between EPs and hospitalists, and between EPs and nursing homes.[3,4,5,6] Common themes that arise from the literature regarding transitions of patient care from one healthcare provider to another are the need for bidirectional communication and a balance between standardization and flexibility.[2] Both EPs and PCPs believe that coordination of care between the two settings is an important transition in healthcare.[7] Communication between the EPs and PCPs has been regarded as unsatisfactory, if performed at all.[8] Poor communication results in provider confusion regarding followup needs, which may predispose patients to error or adverse events.[9,10] The process of hospital discharge to outpatient care currently has multiple barriers that contribute to poor transitions of care.
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