title: Enhancing continuity of information: essential components of consultation reports.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify elements of data that have been shown to contribute to continuity of information between primary care providers and medical specialists providing care to adult asthma patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Systematic review of the literature followed by a 2-round modified Delphi consensus process.
  
  
  METHODS
  Province of Ontario.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eight expert panelists, including 3 practising family physicians, a medical specialist knowledgeable in the treatment of asthma, a family physician previously involved in provincial initiatives related to primary care reform, an e-health technologist, a developer of evidence-based guidelines, and an operations and programs specialist.
  
  
  METHODS
  We completed a systematic literature review to identify important components of consultation reports. We then engaged an 8-member panel in a 2-round modified Delphi consensus process, which led to the identification of components deemed essential to good continuity of information.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After 2 rounds, expert panelists reached consensus on 15 components, referred to here as minimum essential elements, of consultation reports generated by medical specialists in response to referring primary care providers' consultation requests.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The expert panelists considered inclusion of the minimum essential elements in consultation reports essential to achieving good continuity of information. We assembled these elements in a suggested format for a consultation report. The format can be easily modified by practitioners caring for patients with other chronic diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, 155 College St, Suite 425, Toronto, ON M5T 3M6, Canada. whit.berta@utoronto.ca
authors.forename: Whitney
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Berta
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Barnsley
authors.forename: Jeff
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bloom
authors.forename: Rhonda
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cockerill
authors.forename: Dave
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Liisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jaakkimainen
authors.forename: Anne Marie
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Mior
authors.forename: Yves
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Talbot
authors.forename: Eugene
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vayda
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000628:therapy; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D019451:Information Management / Q000379:methods*; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D055815:Young Adult