Communication failures across facilities and at hospital discharge.

Inadequate communication has been identified as a significant factor in paid medical claims and is highlighted as one of the fundamental causes of patient adverse events. This article recounts an actual community hospital case illustrating both interfacility and physician-to-physician communication failures and their effect on patient care. Strategies for improving communication lie in optimizing facility transfer recordkeeping requirements and in improving discharge records by sharing accountability among all providers associated with a patient's hospitalization.