title: Frequency and impact of housestaff contact with primary care physicians.
abstract: To determine how often housestaff notified primary care providers (PCPs) of admissions, whether notification prompted a visit, and whether PCP input impacted care, 210 medical inpatients were asked about their PCPs, and at discharge, housestaff completed a questionnaire on the patient's PCP, and whether he or she was contacted, came to the hospital, and influenced care. Of 105 patients with a PCP, 74 were contacted and 26 visited their patients. The PCPs spoken with personally more often made hospital visits than those contacted only by message (p < 0.0001). PCP input frequently contributed to patient care by providing continuity, clarifying history/diagnosis, managing chronic problems, and elucidating psychosocial/cultural factors. Having a PCP did not influence length of stay or readmission rates.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ways
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Umali
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Buchwald
mesh_terms: D003266:Continuity of Patient Care; D005260:Female; D018578:Hospital-Physician Relations; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010821:Physicians, Family; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires