Development and validation of a tool to improve paediatric referral/consultation communication
ObjectiveTo develop a template to promote brief but high-quality communication between paediatric primary care clinicians and consulting specialists.MethodsThrough an iterative process with academic and community-based paediatric primary care providers and specialists, the authors identified what co...
Saved in:
Published in | BMJ quality & safety Vol. 20; no. 8; pp. 692 - 697 |
---|---|
Main Authors | , , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
England
BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
01.08.2011
BMJ Publishing Group LTD |
Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
Cover
Loading…
Summary: | ObjectiveTo develop a template to promote brief but high-quality communication between paediatric primary care clinicians and consulting specialists.MethodsThrough an iterative process with academic and community-based paediatric primary care providers and specialists, the authors identified what content elements would be of value when communicating around referrals. The authors then developed a one-page template to encourage both primary care and specialty clinicians to include these elements when communicating about referrals. Trained clinician reviewers examined a sample of 206 referrals from community primary care providers (PCPs) to specialists in five paediatric specialties at an academic medical centre, coding communication content and rating the overall value of the referral communication. The relationship between the value ratings and each content element was examined to determine which content elements contributed to perceived value.ResultsAlmost all content elements were associated with increased value as rated by clinician reviewers. The most valuable communications from PCP to specialist contained specific questions for the specialist and/or physical exam features, and the most valuable from specialist to PCP contained brief education for the PCP about the condition; all three elements were found in a minority of communications reviewed.ConclusionsA limited set of communication elements is suitable for a brief communication template in communication from paediatric PCPs to specialists. The use of such a template may add value to interphysician communication. |
---|---|
Bibliography: | ark:/67375/NVC-0T1S2VMW-X href:qhc-20-692.pdf ArticleID:qhc45781 istex:67E655ADFA7A4A6AE68BC893B4DEF6205FED8EAB PMID:21339312 local:qhc;20/8/692 ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23 |
ISSN: | 2044-5415 2044-5423 |
DOI: | 10.1136/bmjqs.2010.045781 |