Continuity of care for patients is fundamental because going into hospital can be an overwhelming experience - you want reassurance that the doctors and nurses know your name, can explain what is happening and there is “someone in charge” to answer your questions and worries.
Patients can often be moved between different wards, sometimes in the middle of the night and usually without informing the patient or carers in advance.
Poor communication between staff and inadequate handovers across shifts result in patient details and vital information being lost, forcing patients and carers to repeat the same information to numerous people.
Doctors are therefore expected to have thorough knowledge of each patient’s inpatient journey, to ensure that every medical professional who wishes to follow the patient up has made arrangements to do so.
Therefore, in today’s post we provide you with some tips on successfully executing excellent continuity of care.
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Medical professionalism and regulation in the UK. (2018). Good continuity of care: four top tips for junior doctors. [online] Available at: https://gmcuk.wordpress.com/2015/09/09/good-continuity-of-care-four-top-tips-for-junior-doctors/ [Accessed 5 Sep. 2018].