RT Journal
A1 Stille CJ, Primack WA
T1 Interspecialty communication: Old problem, new hope?
JF Archives of Internal Medicine
JO Archives of Internal Medicine
YR 2011
FD July 25
VO 171
IS 14
SP 1300
OP 1300
DO 10.1001/archinternmed.2011.326
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archinternmed.2011.326
AB 
We note with interest the study by O’Malley and Reschovsky,1 which corroborates significant gaps in communication we observed a decade ago in a survey of New England pediatricians.2 Sadly, despite increased focus on interspecialty communication and the Medical Home over the past 10 years, inadequate communication between physicians persists. The authors correctly emphasize the system differences between primary care and specialty practices that contribute to a lower rate of communication from primary care physicians (PCPs) to specialists than from specialists back to the PCP. They attribute this in part to time constraints and demonstrate better communication in practices with care management supports and, for subspecialists, use of an electronic medical record (EMR).