Efficient Communication Between Hospitals Promote Patients Safety and Survival Rate

Miscommunications can happen while millions of patient are being transferred from one hospital to another. This process is challenging for both hospitals and patients. Improving efficient communication between hospitals can influence patient care, and survival rate, reports a new study. The finding of the study are published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.// A recent University of Minnesota Medical School study showed that there is a lot of lost information, or changes in diagnosis, from the sending hospital to the receiving hospital. Researchers found that 73 percent of patients gained a new diagnosis following transfer while 47 percent of patients lost a diagnosis, according to electronic records. Transfers where both hospitals participated in data sharing mechanisms such as a health information exchange, were associated with a lower rate of information loss and lower mortality.

"Diagnostic Discordance, Health Information Exchange, and Inter-Hospital Transfer Outcomes: a Population Study" focuses on the patients transferring from one hospital to another and to highlight the importance of efficient communication between hospitals. Data from more than 180,000 patients, 18 years or older, in five states over a three year period, was studied. Researchers compared the chronic diagnosis before and after transfer, and the impact that data sharing had on information transfer and patient outcomes.

"In this population which is a very high risk the ability of two hospitals to talk to each other has the potential to improve patient safety, make care much more cost-effective, and reduce mortality," said author Michael Usher, MD, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine.



Source-Eurekalert