Decision Support:
Establish Linkages with Key Specialists to Ensure that Primary Care Providers Have Access to Expert Support
- Establish a reliable process for clinicians to access HIV expertise and guidance.
- Find specialists who will treat your patients and support your improvement efforts. (Obtain agreement with specialists to provide data back to the primary care site.)
- Review guidelines with specialists to get their input and buy-in. Ensure use of common treatment guidelines across providers.
- Work with specialists to define appropriate patients for referral, based on the guidelines.
- Establish a process for specialty referral and consultation for co-morbid conditions.
- Work with specialists to clarify the approach to follow-up (i.e., the process for getting information to the primary care provider after the specialist sees the patient).
- Develop a mechanism to track and enhance the referral process:
- Referral made
- Specialist sees patient
- Specialist’s letter received by primary care provider
- Patient returns to primary care provider with specialist’s contact information and feedback readily available
- Consider joint visits with specialists or direct phone consultation and other innovative primary care/specialist relationships.
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