Doctors key in care coordination for pediatric inpatients

(HealthDay)—Pediatricians have an important role to play in the coordination of care for hospitalized children, according to a clinical report published in the August issue of Pediatrics.

Daniel A. Rauch, M.D., from the Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, and colleagues revised a clinical report to update pediatricians about the principles needed to improve coordination of care for hospitalized children.

The authors note that care coordination is important for ongoing care of children and their families. Attention to hospitalization processes is necessary because of the potential opportunities for miscommunication that can adversely affect care. On admission, direct communication with the referring and primary care physicians should not be overlooked, as it can provide the context for the child's illness; in addition, the admission provides an opportunity to review the general health of the child. As care extends beyond the admitting provider to consulting services, the coordination of care becomes more important. Discharge, which should represent the achievement of the goal of admission, should be accompanied by communication with the primary care physician to prepare the patient and their family for transmission back to the outpatient environment.

"Coordination of care should include careful attention to specific needs of the child and family and communication with all care providers to ensure safe transit from the outpatient arena, through the hospital, and back to the medical home," the authors write.