Identifying Perceived Barriers to Communication and Coordination of Care of the Liver Transplant Recipient
Abstract
Communication is essential between and among all members of the health care team to provide coordinated care that is effective, efficient, cost sensitive, safe and maximizes health care goals and outcomes for post liver transplant (LT) patients. It remains unclear why effective communication and coordination of care is not always available between and among members caring for the LT recipient. A descriptive, self-report survey was electronically sent using SurveyMonkey to liver transplant team members (LTTMs) and primary care providers (PCPs) caring for LT recipients to identify perceived barriers to communication and coordination of care. Although the sample size was small (n=29) and diversity of providers was limited, perceived barriers to communication and coordination of care were identified and included a lack of role clarity, insufficient education provided to PCPs on how to manage LT recipients, disagreement on which care providers should manage renal insufficiency, minimal relationships between care providers, and a lack of written communication. Recommendations include a need for additional research to evaluate if LTTMs informing PCPs of the expectations of both teams in the mutual care of the LT recipient and providing education on the common comorbidities and drug interactions with immunosuppressive agents would improve patient outcomes. It is recommended to study whether or not including care education in the go-home packet sent to PCPs and a phone call from a LTTM to the PCP would improve communication and relationships between providers resulting in improved patient outcomes.