Community Hospital Consultation Survey

Amanda Rosencrans, Robert Ferguson, M.D., Stephanie Detterline, M.D. (Union Memorial Hospital)

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Overview

• Disseminated July, 2010 using SurveyMonkey to the revised 45 member CHERN suvey group. We had a 55% response rate from 11 states
• Using well accepted standards as studied in the seminal article by Lee Goldman, et.al. " Ten Commandments of Effective Consultations," does the medical consult process work well in the community hospital setting?

Goldman's Ten Commandments of Effective Consultation (adapted from Goldman, Lee, et.al Arch Intern Med 1983;143:1753-1755)

• Determine The Question
• Establish Urgency
• Look For Yourself
• Be As Brief As Appropriate
• Be Specific
• Establish Contingency Plans
• Honor Thy Neighbor's Turf
• Teach...With Tact
• Talk is Cheap...And Effective
• Follow Up

Results

See below

Conclusions

• We describe the first survey of community hospital program directors regarding medical consultations at their institutions.
• Program directors most frequently get their information regarding medical consultation from their residents and their own observations.
• Consultants were rated the highest on "Look for Yourself" and "Follow-up"
• Most program directors agreed that consulations are effective and consultants are a postive role model to their residents. There was less agreement on whether or not new technology has improved communication.
• Highest rated subspecialties are infectious disease, pulmonary, and nephrology