When it comes to handing patients off between physicians, things don’t always go so smoothly. That fragmented care is such a commonality in the healthcare industry.

But why do physicians need to be concerned with smoother handoffs besides the obvious, and what can they do so to make handoffs smoother and help patients feel more comfortable?

• Focus on the human element of care and smooth handoffs for patient retention. Now, more than ever with the industry shift, the realization is setting in that seamless transitions, coordination and communications at handoff are key not only to improving care and the patient experience, but these elements are also very closely tied to patient retention and word-of-mouth referrals by satisfied patients, which drives downstream revenue. 

• Make information readily available. Feeling ”in the loop” can help patients feel more at ease. By explaining your role as a clinician in relation to others providing care, detailing the referral process, and noting when a patient’s question falls outside of your expertise, you’re keeping patients in tune with what they need to know and making them more comfortable, notes Jessie Gruman in a piece for KevinMD.com. Patients are often too scared or not comfortable enough to ask questions, but by being forthright with information, you’re educating them and helping them become more responsible for their own care.

• Make smooth handoffs visible. Sometimes, it might not matter how great of a job you’re doing with patient handoffs behind the scenes, if patients don’t see the efforts, they don’t know what’s going on. As easy as it may seem, opening lines of communication by walking the patient through the handoff process, what all it entails for the patient, and the trust in the process, patients can feel more at ease. Receiving instructions in a more up-front and descriptive manner will make the handoff understandable and visible to the patient, much like in a discharge walk through. As we see a shortage of resources and an increase in patient volume, going through the motions can become habit, as it does in any industry, but remembering to take a step back and reassure the patient is a key element to patient safety, satisfaction, and of course, a smooth handoff.

• Follow up. Make it a priority to follow up with patients after care. This helps ensure that they’ve had all questions answered, they’ve picked up prescription medication and they’re following all post-discharge instructions, leading to higher satisfaction and fewer readmissions. For more information on post-discharge solutions, be sure to check out BerylHealth’s CareTransitions services.