Fragmented System of Care
Multiple doctors, multiple surgeries and duplicate lab tests showed Pat Morgan the fragmented nature of our health care system where care is anything but patient-centered.
In 2009, Morgan had pain in her left ear that her doctor diagnosed as an infection and prescribed drops. Another doctor told her she needed surgery, after which she was released from the hospital without seeing the doctor.
Although the nurse told her she needed to use eardrops post-surgery, she was never given a prescription. Consequently, the wound did not heal. Another doctor ordered an MRI which showed the ear was infected, and treatment and repeat surgery were necessary.
Not only did she see a number of doctors, Morgan wasn't even able to make her trip to the lab for blood work efficient. She asked the hospital to provide her pre-surgery blood work to her internist who'd requested annual tests. The response was that one ‘draw' would be done, but two separate tests had to be run because the internist and hospital systems were incompatible.
At a National Health Reform forum hosted by the Ohio Campaign for Better Care, Morgan shared her story about the lack of care coordination that resulted in conflicting information from doctors, repeated medical tests, confusion regarding post-surgical care, and finally readmission to the hospital that could have been avoided with proper coordination.
Ohio Campaign for Better Care is part of a national effort working to ensure that:
- Care is comprehensive, well-coordinated, and patient-centered
- Patient transitions across settings are smooth, safe, effective and efficient