Here’s why good communication translates to good health

Any time you receive medical attention, it’s important that the health care professionals treating you are all on the same page.

A study by physicians at the University of Colorado School of Medicine recently documented what many health care leaders have long suspected: Communication breaks down somewhere between hospital discharge and outpatient follow-up.

Other critical communication points: Patient transfers between emergency responders and hospitals and hospital shift changes.

The study found some primary care doctors didn’t even know their patients had been to the hospital.

Research shows hospital administrators can do more to improve the patientexperience by implementing better communication systems across all levels of care.

That includes motivating doctors and support staff to communicate in real time, not through notes or messages left with call centers.

There’s also a push to use more private patient advocates. Some hospitals and insurers hire nurses and social workers as advocates for patients and their families. These advocates are trained to be persistent, to speak up and to ask questions on behalf of patients.

As a consumer, don’t be afraid to ask your health care provider whether they have talked to a specialist or nurse. Asking questions and taking charge of your care can reduce the chance you need to be readmitted to the hospital.

Check out Voices for Affordable Health’s growing list of resources available to help consumers secure high-quality affordable care.