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Improve communication with PCPs

Hospitalist Leadership Connection, October 7, 2008

Inpatient and outpatient providers depend on each other to optimize patient care and clinical outcomes, but that relationship comes with challenges. The downfall of many hospitalist programs isn’t necessarily poor-quality care. Rather, a failed program might result from lack of planning, lack of infrastructure, and unmet expectations on the part of customers (patients and referring providers/PCPs).

Conversely, the success of the practitioners’ partnership comes from the careful planning and implementation of the hospitalist program. Develop an integrated delivery system that is complete with policies, procedures, and protocols, assigning responsibilities to each side of process.  Some hospitalist deliverables include the following protocols:

• Give referring physicians and PCPs patient brochures that explain the hospitalist program and services provided. Have the referring physicians and PCPs place patient brochures in their office waiting rooms.
• Make confirmation calls to the PCP on the day of admission. If the admission occurs after hours or on a weekend or holiday, call on the next business day.
• Transmit admission history and physical exam results to the referring provider/PCP within one hour of evaluation.
• Call the PCP with updates and significant changes in the patient’s status.
• Involve the PCP in any major diagnostic or treatment plans.
• Coordinate a discharge plan with the PCP.
• Coordinate a patient/family conference before discharge to answer questions, review the discharge medications, and outline the outpatient treatment plan.
• Transmit a summary discharge sheet to the PCP stating discharge diagnosis, discharge medications, and follow-up recommendations.
• Provide priority dictation and transmit discharge summary to PCP within three hours of patient discharge.
• Follow-up with the patient by telephone within 24 hours of discharge.

The above excerpt is adapted from Hospitalist Case Studies: Tactics and Strategies for 10 Common Hurdles, by Kenneth G. Simone, DO, published by HCPro, Inc.

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