STRONGER TOGETHER for Better Care
a patient referred by a primary care provider for“ abnormal labs,” with no context or clinical details provided. Similarly, when specialists are consulted in the ED, they may review the chart, offer a recommendation and document it— without ever speaking directly to the emergency physician. In some cases, a patient follows up with a specialist after discharge from the ED, only for both the physician and patient to be unclear about the reason for the visit. These missed opportunities for real-time dialogue can lead to fragmented care.
This passive handoff model introduces multiple risks:
• Miscommunication and misinterpretation of clinical urgency
• Fragmented care plans with unclear ownership
• Duplication of testing or conflicting orders
In contrast, when physicians engage in direct, collaborative communication, patient care improves. Shared decision-making, informed by each specialty’ s perspective, results in more accurate diagnoses, more efficient care pathways and reduced errors.
Real-World Examples of Physician Collaboration Driving Results
1. Sepsis Management: Emergency Medicine + Critical Care
Emergency physicians partnering with intensivists to launch a sepsis protocol. The result? Faster initiation of vasopressors, improved source control and a reduction in ICU mortality related to septic shock. The real-time collaboration allowed for continuity of care, reduced cognitive load on the ED physician and enhanced treatment precision.
2. Chest Pain Pathways: Emergency Medicine + Cardiology
Hospitals with Chest Pain Centers often employ collaborative protocols developed jointly by emergency medicine and cardiology. These include shared algorithms for risk stratification, standardized troponin testing intervals and clearly defined thresholds for activating the cath lab. This collaboration leads to a reduction in unnecessary admissions for low-risk chest pain, and fewer readmissions for undiagnosed cardiac disease.
3. Acute Stroke Care: Emergency Medicine + Neurology + Radiology
Close coordination between emergency physicians, neurology and radiology ensures rapid stroke code activation, imaging prioritization and eligibility assessment. Hospitals that have adopted this collaborative model routinely meet or exceed national goals— and most importantly, improve neurologic outcomes and minimize disability. There are countless other physician-to-physician collaborations that tangibly affect patient care.
Bridging the Gaps: Strategies to Promote Cross- Specialty Collaboration
So, how can physicians take the lessons learned in emergency medicine and apply them more broadly?
1. Create Infrastructure for Direct Communication
Encourage voice-to-voice or face-to-face discussions between referring and consulting physicians. Avoid over-reliance on asynchronous communication through the EMR.
2. Build Joint Protocols
Collaborative protocols— developed with input from multiple specialties— establish mutual expectations and streamline workflows. Shared order sets also reduce variation and promote evidence-based practices.
3. Promote Interdisciplinary Education
Simulation exercises, morbidity and mortality reviews and teambased CME sessions help clinicians understand each other’ s roles and limitations. Education breaks down silos and builds mutual respect.
4. Reward Collaborative Behavior
Incorporate physician collaboration into quality metrics and performance reviews. Recognize clinicians who consistently engage in meaningful, respectful and effective cross-specialty partnerships.
Conclusion: A Culture of Communication, A Future of Shared Care
From the emergency department to the intensive care unit to the outpatient clinic, one principle holds true: the best care happens when physicians talk to each other. Real-time, collaborative decision-making enhances efficiency, reduces error and places the patient at the center of a truly connected team.
Emergency medicine has long demonstrated the power of teambased care. By adopting the model of integrated, physician-to-physician collaboration, health care can be delivered safer, smarter and more patient-centered— regardless of where the patient enters or exits the system.
The next step in health care improvement is not just working harder within specialties, but also working better among them.
Dr. Platt is an emergency physician with UofL Health and is a Professor with the University of Louisville School of Medicine.
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