Coordinating Care between Emergency Departments and Primary Care Poses Many Challenges

Everyone can get frustrated when breakdowns in communication lead to wasted time and effort, especially in a busy hospital setting. Miscommunication between the Emergency Department (ED) in a hospital and a patient’s primary care physician can lead to many problems, including duplicated treatment and misapplied treatment.

Miscommunication can occur as a result of:

-Phone issues: It can take many attempts, with many interruptions, before getting a useful answer.
-E-mail or fax: It is impossible to share information simultaneously through e-mail or fax, and incomplete or indecipherable information can lead to more delays.
-A lack of time and reimbursement makes health workers give coordinated care low priority.
-Risk and liability concerns can cause institutions to avoid offering health advice.
-Changing personnel in either the ED or the primary care office can compound coordinated care problems.

An electronic medical record (EMR), or a secure, password-protected record of a patient’s medical history is one possible solution. There are potential problems, such as medical institutions using different types of EMRs or potentially losing access to the data, but it looks like a way to improve patient care coordination.

What are some of the expierences you have had in your nursing career with breakdowns in communication? Was it due to technology? How does technology affect your daily responsibilities as a nurse? Share your experience and more with us here and on our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/stanbridgecollege

For more on coordinating care and EMRs, visit Nurse Zone.com.

To learn more about tips for nurses, nursing careers and healthcare industry visit the Stanbridge College Vocational Nursing Blog. To start a career in vocational nursing visit Stanbridge College Vocational Nursing program online.