How to Improve Coordination of Care
Authors: Todd P. Semla
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2008)

Letters15 April 2008How to Improve Coordination of CareTodd P. Semla, MS, PharmDTodd P. Semla, MS, PharmDFrom American Geriatrics Society, New York, NY 10118.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-148-8-200804150-00015 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail TO THE EDITOR:The recent article by Farber and colleagues (1) and the accompanying editorial by Bodenheimer (2) highlight a rapidly growing problem: coordinating clinical care in an environment in which patient management is increasingly decentralized.The American Geriatrics Society has expressed concern over this issue previously (3, 4) and has been working with members of the U.S. Congress to develop support for the proposed Geriatric Assessment and Chronic Care Coordination Act. A key element of this legislation is a call for the development of care plans that support coordinated care for Medicare beneficiaries with multiple chronic conditions and for ...References1. Farber J, Siu A, Bloom P. How much time do physicians spend providing care outside of office visits? Ann Intern Med. 2007;147:693-8. [PMID: 18025445] LinkGoogle Scholar2. Bodenheimer T. Coordinating care: a major (unreimbursed) task of primary care [Editorial]. Ann Intern Med. 2007;147:730-1. [PMID: 18025448] LinkGoogle Scholar3. Besdine R, Boult C, Brangman S, Coleman E, Fried L, Gerety M, et al. American Geriatrics Society Task Force on the Future of Geriatric Medicine. Caring for older Americans: the future of geriatric medicine. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2005;53:S245-56. [PMID: 15963180] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. American Geriatrics Society. AGS Comments on Questions IOM is Investigating in Study of Healthcare Workforce for Older Americans. Accessed at www.americangeriatrics.org/policy/iom_report040907.shtml#1 on 5 March 2008. Google Scholar5. Counsell SR, Callahan CM, Clark DO, Tu W, Buttar AB, Stump TE, et al. Geriatric care management for low-income seniors: a randomized, controlled trial. JAMA. 2007;298:2623-33. [PMID: 18073358] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar6. Reuben DB. Better care for older people with chronic diseases: an emerging vision [Editorial]. JAMA. 2007;298:2673-4. [PMID: 18073365] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar7. Thorpe KE, Howard DH. The rise in spending among Medicare beneficiaries: the role of chronic disease prevalence and changes in treatment intensity. Health Aff (Millwood). 2006;25:w378-88. [PMID: 16926180] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: From American Geriatrics Society, New York, NY 10118.Disclaimer: The views expressed are those of the American Geriatrics Society and not necessarily those of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.Disclosures:Employment: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Pharmacy Benefits Management. Dr. Semla serves as advisor to Evercare and on the Omnicare P&T Committee. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoHow Much Time Do Physicians Spend Providing Care Outside of Office Visits? Jeffrey Farber , Albert Siu , and Patricia Bloom Coordinating Care: A Major (Unreimbursed) Task of Primary Care Thomas Bodenheimer Metrics Cited ByBreast cancer patients’ trust in physicians: The impact of patients’ perception of physicians’ communication behaviors and hospital organizational climate 15 April 2008Volume 148, Issue 8Page: 627-628KeywordsCaregiversCommunication in health careElderlyElectronic medical recordsGeriatricsHealth careHospitalizationsLegislationMedicarePatients ePublished: 15 April 2008 Issue Published: 15 April 2008 CopyrightCopyright © 2008 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF DownloadLoading ...