Improve coordination of care

Providing better coordination of care may involve a new attitude toward patient care as well as system-level changes. Here are some ideas that emerged from the collaborative on Improving Service in Health Care, sponsored by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and The Picker Institute in Boston:

To unify and coordinate care in your system as experienced by patients:

- Identify a spokesperson for the medical team: physician and nurse (give patient card with beeper, e-mail, etc.).

- Share care plans and clinical pathways with patients so they know what to expect and when.

- Have a "call return" time service guarantee.

To ensure smooth transitions between care settings and other caregivers:

- Share map of the entire process of care developed from the perspective of the patient.

- Check with patient and family for understanding of referral processes.

- Provide 24-hour prescription refill request lines.

- Fax orders and clinical information between settings.