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Magellan's 2021 patient safety survey reflects need for greater care coordination among providers
Ways YOU can help improve care coordination in 2022
Each year, Magellan conducts the patient safety survey with our network providers. If you completed our patient safety survey last year, thank you for participating, and most importantly for ensuring your clinical practices promote patient safety!
The overall response rate in 2021 remained about the same from the previous year, while the number of responses to all the questions on the survey decreased. Questions that showed the largest downward trend involve communication and coordination between behavioral health and the medical care system. These areas are vital to improving member outcomes.
The survey asks questions about activities and monitoring processes that relate to patient safety measures, including coordination and transition of care, as well as medication management.
We distribute the survey to inpatient and residential facilities, and psychiatrists practicing in groups or in individual practice.
Magellan focuses on patient safety in two major areas of care and service:
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Key patient safety findings in 2021 (compared with the last two years' results)
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Survey Item |
2021 |
2020 |
2019 |
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Response Rate |
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|
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- Aggregate |
14.2% |
14.8% |
11% |
|
- Psychiatrists / Groups |
13.3% |
14.2% |
10% |
|
- Facilities |
17.6% |
16.3% |
13% |
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Percentage of Positive Responses |
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|
|
|
Between the behavioral health and primary/medical care system, do you or your staff: |
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Discuss history of adverse medication reactions with PCPs |
51% |
58.8% |
58% |
|
Provide discharge instructions or treatment summary to patient (new item) |
74.3% |
-- |
-- |
|
Send discharge summary and labs to PCP (new item) |
55.4% |
-- |
-- |
|
Prescribe anti-craving medication to support abstinence |
70.2% |
70.9% |
62% |
|
Contact patient’s primary care provider to share information about the case |
43.1% |
55% |
49.9% |
Items that showed the largest downward trend involve communication and coordination
between behavioral health and the medical care system.
Provider best practices in patient safety include:
- Communicating with treating providers and/or PCPs, via in-person discussion, phone call, fax or mail. See our sample Clinician Communication Form (PDF).
- Educating patients and family members as appropriate about benefits, risks and side effects of medications.
- Prescribing anti-craving medication to support abstinence.
- Sharing discharge summaries with patients, other providers or their PCP to improve coordination of care.
- Performing weight/waist circumference/lab tests at the start of medication, as a repeat measure, and assess for movement side effects using the AIMS.
2022 Patient Safety Survey coming in October
Magellan continues to evaluate patient safety best practices and support providers by reporting insights from these surveys that can aid in improving member care. Watch for the 2022 Patient Safety Survey coming your way soon.
We appreciate your responses and assistance with our quality improvement activities. Contact Tamé Jaco, vice president of quality, at (314) 387-4922 or TAJaco@MagellanHealth.com with questions or feedback.