De impact van communicatie tussen zorgverstrekkers op de kwaliteit van patiëntenzorg

The general practitioner (GP) has a central function in patient care. Basically, the GP is the patients’ first point of contact. Even after referral, the GP will always play a coordinating role in the care process. In order to be able to provide high standard care, physicians should have full access to all patient data. Efficient communication is key in this transmural co-operation. To be effective, communication should meet specific quality standards. This requires a regular exchange of communication between GP and medical specialists. Moreover, any form of communication should meet the recipient’s needs and should be structured. Physicians prefer letters that were electronically written. Communication between health care professionals and communication quality should be an important and integral part of their graduate and postgraduate training. Communication should be considered a basic skill of health care professionals in order to provide and ensure high quality patient care