From Fragmentation to Collaboration: Transforming Healthcare Communication
- From Fragmentation to Collaboration: Transforming Healthcare Communication Christine Meyer 33:31
Early in my career as a primary care physician, my workday started with a visit to the hospital, where I would round on all my patients who were hospitalized and coordinate their treatment.
But times have changed. Today, hospitalized patients are under the care of a generalist who gets their information from the patient’s chart but doesn’t have a relationship with said patient or their family.
So, when Elizabeth’s stepfather was admitted to the hospital, his family got mixed messages. There was a lack of communication among the specialists assigned to his care, and the family didn’t understand the severity of his circumstances until it was too late.
On this episode of Tell Me More, Elizabeth joins us to explain why her mother was blindsided by the news of her husband’s passing and how the family would have handled things differently had they fully understood the reality of her stepfather’s condition.
We discuss how the lack of a designated coordinator impacts patient care and what role primary care doctors can play in providing continuity of care for their hospitalized patients.
Listen in to understand what the generalist could have done to prevent the family’s confusion and learn how to be proactive and persistent in getting information from healthcare providers in a hospital setting.
Key Takeaways
How Elizabeth’s stepfather was hospitalized due to vascular disease a few weeks before he died
The lack of communication among the generalist, cardiologist, vascular doctor and podiatrist who saw Elizabeth’s stepdad in the hospital
Why Elizabeth’s mother was blindsided by the news of her husband’s passing
How Elizabeth’s family would have handled things differently had they fully understood the reality of her stepfather’s condition
How the lack of a designated coordinator or quarterback impacts patient care
The role primary care doctors can play in providing continuity of care for their hospitalized patients
How the specialists gave Elizabeth’s mother unrealistic expectations about her husband’s prognosis and what steps the generalist could have taken to prevent this from happening
The value of including adult children in the conversation when an Aging parent is hospitalized
What to do if you’re getting mixed messages from specialists about a loved one’s condition
How to be proactive and persistent in getting information from healthcare providers in the hospital
Connect with Dr. Meyer
Email christine@christinemeyermd.com
