region/plan-specific news
: California
Magellan's patient safety survey reflects need for greater care coordination among providers
Ways YOU can help improve care coordination in 2024
Each year, Human Affairs International of California (HAI-CA)* 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 remained about the same from the previous years. All items demonstrated improvement from year over year for the past three years, with the area of greatest opportunity being communication and coordination between behavioral health and the medical care system. This area is important 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
Communication across the continuum of care, and especially at times of transition:
- Coordination of care between behavioral health providers.
- Coordination of care between behavioral health providers and PCPs.
Medication management and medication reconciliation including:
- Monitoring the use of second-generation antipsychotics per APA guidelines.
- Using anti-craving medications to support abstinence.
- Performing lab tests at the start of medication, as a repeat measure, and assess for movement side effects using the Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS).
Key patient safety findings in 2023 (comparison of past three years' results)
|
Survey items |
2023 |
2022 |
2021 |
|
Between the behavioral health and primary/medical care system, do you or your staff: |
% positive |
||
|
Discuss history of adverse medication reactions with PCPs |
70.34% |
57.41% |
51% |
|
Provide discharge instructions or treatment summary to patient |
81.20% |
82.72% |
74.3% |
|
Send discharge summary and labs to PCP |
73.33% |
73.68% |
55.4% |
|
Contact patient’s primary care provider to share information about the case |
55.93% |
54.32% |
43.1% |
The area of greatest opportunity for improving patient safety is communication and coordination between behavioral health and the medical care system.
Provider best practices in patient safety
- Communicate with treating providers and/or PCPs, via in-person discussion, phone call, fax or mail. See our sample Clinician Communication Form (PDF).
- Educate patients and family members as appropriate about benefits, risks and side effects of medications.
- Prescribe anti-craving medication to support abstinence.
- Share discharge summaries with patients, other providers or their PCP to improve coordination of care.
- Perform lab tests at the start of medication, as a repeat measure, and assess for movement side effects using the AIMS.
Making a difference in patient care
HAI-CA 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 2024 Patient Safety Survey coming your way in the fall.
We appreciate your responses and assistance with our quality improvement activities. Please contact Heather Paluso, director of quality, at PalusoH@MagellanHealth.com with questions or feedback.
*In California, Magellan does business as Human Affairs International of California and Magellan Health Services of California, Inc. - Employer Services.