Meta-analysis: Effect of Interactive Communication Between Collaborating Primary Care Physicians and Specialists

Current initiatives to improve care for chronic illness include collaborative care models in which a clinical team assumes responsibility for each patient's care. Key to success of these initiatives is effective communication between primary care physicians and specialists. This study assessed the available evidence about how interactive communication between primary care physicians and specialists affected outcomes for patients with diabetes, psychiatric conditions, or cancer. The analysis identified consistent and clinically important effects, suggesting the need for further research about how best to structure these interactions.

Foy R, Hempel S, Riubenstein L, Suttorp M, Seelig M, Shanman R, Shekelle P. Ann Intern Med. 2010; 152: 247-258.