Risk Factors for Poorly Coordinated Care: An International Study
<p>Being young, having a chronic illness, and lacking a positive, established relationship with a health care provider are all factors associated with poorly coordinated primary care, according to a new analysis of international survey data published in <em>Annals of Family Medicine</em>.</p><p>Based on responses to a Commonwealth Fund survey of adults in 11 high-income countries, a research team including Jonathan Penm of the University of Sydney and the Commonwealth Fund’s Michelle M. Doty found that the rate of poor primary care coordination was 5.2 percent overall and 9.8 percent in the U.S., which had the highest level. </p>
<p>Poor primary care coordination, which can occur when a patient’s health care providers fail to share information with each other, is associated with unnecessary tests and procedures, higher hospitalization rates, and higher ER use for nonurgent and urgent care. Older patients typically experience better care coordination than younger ones, regardless of insurance status, the researchers say.</p>