A recent study conducted at a large US academic hospital highlighted divergent attitudes among primary care physicians (PCP) and hospitalists toward PCP telemedicine consultations for admitted patients. To assess the potential for enhancing patient care through greater integration of inpatient and outpatient services, Basil G. Verghese, MD, FACP, FHM, and colleagues conducted a single-center, cross-sectional study to compare PCP and hospitalists’ perspectives. A survey of 120 clinicians, which included 52 hospitalists and 68 PCPs, revealed varying levels of support for PCP telemedicine consultations for hospitalized patients. Although hospitalists and PCPs viewed the consultations as important, approximately half (45.8%) of hospitalists found them only slightly important, 18.8% believed they were moderately important, and 22.9% found them quite important. Many hospitalists (35.4%) responded that they were willing to exert only minimal effort in PCP telemedicine consultations. PCPs, however, showed greater interest. Most PCPs considered telemedicine consultations moderately (35.6%) or quite (23.7%) important, with 45.8% ready to invest effort into facilitating them. Both groups saw time commitment as a major hurdle (hospitalists, 78.8%; PCPs, 75%). Dr. Verghese and colleagues concluded that streamlining processes to improve the effectiveness of telemedicine consultations could potentially enhance patient care continuity and outcomes.
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