Patients who receive care from multiple providers at different facilities often experience poorer health outcomes and higher costs than those who receive care from a single provider. This is because fragmented care can lead to duplication of services, communication breakdowns, and a lack of coordination among providers. Fragmented care can also cause patients to receive conflicting advice from different providers, which can lead to confusion and non-adherence to treatment plans. In addition, patients who see multiple providers may be more likely to receive duplicate tests and procedures, which can expose them to unnecessary risks and increase their costs. To avoid these negative consequences, it is important for patients to receive care from a coordinated team of providers who communicate with each other and work together to provide the best possible care.
The Fragmentation of Care Index (FCI) was used to assess care fragmentation among specialist outpatients in a Singapore regional hospital. According to a study, patients who frequently visited haematology, euthyroid, and anesthesiology specialities had more fragmented care. The use of unnecessary referrals should be discouraged by physicians to help reduce the spread of care fragmentation. Singapore and many other developed countries are experiencing the challenges of an aging population. One of the looming healthcare challenges in Singapore is the coordination and integration of care. The lack of integrated or coordinated care, also known as care fragmentation, is associated with poor clinical outcomes, increased healthcare costs, and compromised quality of care. fragmentation of patient care is a concern for any entity, especially one that is heavily reliant on multiple providers and patients with varying levels of education, socioeconomic status, and health status.
In this study, we will look at the extent of multispecialty care fragmentation in a public hospital’s specialist outpatient setting and look at patient risk factors. A summary of the demographic and clinical specialty data obtained from that consultation was made available. In the hospital, all specialists had the same electronic medical record. However, outpatient consult notes usually list the majority of the issues/diagnoses as free text. In the outpatient setting, care coordination was only available in rare cases, such as diabetes and stable heart failure. The study participants’ average age was 55 years old, 54% were male, 72% were Chinese, and the mean age was 54%. In the study population, 1.5 medical specialties had the highest rates of outpatient visits per patient. (
For more information, see FCI=0.) 64% of patients visited one medical specialty only 64% of patients visited one medical specialty only 64% With FCI of 0.70 (SD=0.20), 36% of the remaining 36% had an FCI of 0.70 (SD=0.20). Outpatients with haematological, endocrine, and anesthesiology disorders as their primary specialty saw the most variation in their work. Modelling FCI for age, gender, and MVVS is performed using a log-linear regression model. The age effect was positively related to FCI (p<0.001), and there was no statistically significant difference in FCI for women and men. Distraction, particularly anaesthesia, necessitates close teamwork between anaesthetists and specialist doctors in order to deliver high-quality care. In the case of patients with MRVS Medical Oncology and Radiation oncology, the smallest FCIs are associated with other factors.
The scope of the study within specialist outpatients at a single hospital is limited in terms of its accuracy for estimating the extent of multispecialty care fragmentation in this study. Multispecialty care fragmentation was found to be relatively high in outpatient specialist clinics, with patients’ ages and specialty being associated with it. This situation is likely to worsen as a result of an aging population and an earlier onset of chronic diseases. There may be more in-depth research needed to understand the causes of this type of fragmentation.
It is defined as an arrangement that does not work between different healthcare providers or healthcare organizations. Due to their divisions, providers collaborate at their own pace. Silos are formed as a result of a mismatch between funding, laws and regulations, data management, and training.
