As the initial panic around Ebola declines, we have time to reflect on what changes should be made to the care provided in the physician office setting, clinic or urgent care.  With the flu season poking its head around the corner many physicians and office staff ponder the need for additional vigilance in their daily practice. 

Patients come in many shapes and sizes. So do their complaints – from the seemingly trivial to the ones that will obviously trigger a malpractice lawsuit. A practice that masters the management and methods of complaint resolution is ahead of game in avoiding grievances, medical board complaints, or worse, the courtroom.

There are multiple descriptions and definitions of transition of care, and a wide variety of models designed to improve the process.

In Part 1 of The Post Hospitalization Conundrum, I noted that research consistently shows that ineffective management of care transitions poses risks to patients. In Part 2, we look at three models and approaches to care management and their outcomes.

Good communication between hospitalists and primary care physicians at the time of discharge is critical to patient safety and to the reduction of risk. Historically, this communication has been “one-way” in the form of a discharge summary. Studies have shown that "[F]ollowing hospital discharges nearly half (49 percent) of hospitalized patients experience at least one medical error in medication continuity, diagnostic workup, or test follow-up."