Assessing written communication during interhospital transfers of emergency general surgery patients.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Poor communication causes fragmented care. Studies of transitions of care within a hospital and on discharge suggest significant communication deficits. Communication during transfers between hospitals has not been well studied. We assessed the written communication provided during interhospital transfers of emergency general surgery patients. We hypothesized that patients are transferred with incomplete documentation from referring facilities.

Methods

We performed a retrospective review of written communication provided during interhospital transfers to our emergency department (ED) from referring EDs for emergency general surgical evaluation between January 1, 2014 and January 1, 2016. Elements of written communication were abstracted from referring facility doc

SUBMITTER: Harl FNR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5614521 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature