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ABSTRACT: Objectives
Interfacility transfer for time-sensitive emergencies involves rapid and complex care transitions between facilities. We sought to validate relational coordination, a 7-dimension measure of coordination in which a higher score reflects higher-quality coordination, to examine how the quality of coordination affects timeliness in an emergency care setting.Study design
Retrospective observational cohort design.Methods
We used a novel method to examine how the quality of coordination between physicians at the time of transfer affects timeliness of physician acceptance. We recorded physician-to-physician conversations from the transfer of patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), a time-sensitive emergency requiring immediate intervention to prevent morbidity and mortality.Results
We identified 81 patients experiencing STEMI who were transferred between August 1, 2016, and March 31, 2018. Descriptive statistics, interrater reliability (Spearman correlation coefficients), and generalized linear models were used to examine the association between relational coordination and the physician time-to-acceptance duration. Median (IQR) relational coordination score was 445 (403-493) of a maximum of 700, and median (IQR) time to acceptance was 90.4 (60.2-140.8) seconds. Agreement between abstractors was high (ρ = 0.76). There was a significant, negative relationship between relational coordination and time to acceptance (ρ = -0.38; P < .001). Every 40-point increase in relational coordination was associated with a 25% reduction in time to acceptance.Conclusions
Relational coordination not only demonstrated high interrater reliability, but we also found that higher-quality coordination was associated with faster physician acceptance during time-sensitive transfers. Use of such measures may provide a mechanism to improve the quality of care and outcomes for patients with STEMI who experience interfacility transfers.
SUBMITTER: Ward MJ
PROVIDER: S-EPMC11014424 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Sep
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

Ward Michael J MJ Kripalani Sunil S Muñoz Daniel D Collins Sean P SP Moser Kelly K Jenkins Cathy A CA Liu Dandan D Vogus Timothy J TJ
American journal of accountable care 20220908 3
<h4>Objectives</h4>Interfacility transfer for time-sensitive emergencies involves rapid and complex care transitions between facilities. We sought to validate relational coordination, a 7-dimension measure of coordination in which a higher score reflects higher-quality coordination, to examine how the quality of coordination affects timeliness in an emergency care setting.<h4>Study design</h4>Retrospective observational cohort design.<h4>Methods</h4>We used a novel method to examine how the qual ...[more]