Apr 23, 2024
With patients having greater autonomy in selecting their care options, effective communication between primary and specialty care providers is more vital than ever. However, this can be challenging due to a need for established communication protocols.
Why do communication barriers matter?
I read a recent article from Medical Economics titled “When doctors don't talk to each other” which sheds light on the challenges posed by communication barriers within different healthcare settings, underscoring the need for innovative solutions to bridge these gaps and promote connected care experiences across providers.
The impact of interoperability issues
The article highlighted findings from a study on communication gaps, sharing some concerning statistics. For instance, a significant portion of primary care physicians (22%) reported inconsistent sharing of clinical information with specialists during referrals. Even more concerning was that over a third (35%) of primary care physicians receive limited or no feedback from specialists following consultations.
Many of us have experienced this firsthand and know how frustrating it is when care providers are not communicating with each other.
Numbers like this highlight the importance of tackling interoperability issues in healthcare organizations for a better patient care experience. Without smooth communication between our healthcare providers, patients face fragmented care, unnecessary tests, delayed diagnoses, and suboptimal treatment plans that impact our well-being and satisfaction.
To conclude, although healthcare organizations are increasingly adopting innovative communication platforms to overcome communication barriers, much progress still needs to be made.
The path forward: the Celo mission
I want to emphasize the Celo mission of connecting healthcare teams to enhance care experiences through streamlined communication and collaboration.
Not only is our platform just as easy to use as consumer messaging tools, but it is packed with healthcare features to ensure collaboration and efficient exchange of information between colleagues, healthcare providers, and patients.
About the Author:
Ani Radountcheva 
Head of Marketing at Celo
Ani, from Celo's marketing team, takes pride in being a part of the solution to improve communication in healthcare. With a partner who is a PICU nurse, Ani is exposed to real-time insights into the communication challenges faced by healthcare professionals. Thus igniting her passion for not only improving patient outcomes from effective communication but also contributing to making the lives of healthcare professionals a little easier in their workplace.