David Frim, MD, explains the process and importance of working with referring physicians.
[OPENING MUSIC] DAVID M. FRIM: Our care of our patients really couldn't be accomplished without the cooperation and collaboration of the physicians who refer those patients to us. Some are primary care doctors, many are neurologists, some are rehabilitation specialists, some are our surgical colleagues and orthopedists or plastic surgery, or oncology. What we espouse here is a collaborative team approach to each patient where disciplinary thinking cross-pollinates ideas on how to care for the patients best and with most efficiency. We try and keep our primary care physician and neurology refers up to date on what's going on, and what we're thinking about their patients and what our options are for treatment. And together, oftentimes with the referring doctors, we design a plan that we can present to the patient and the patient's family that we think is patient-centered on the needs of that particular individual. I think this creates reasonable expectations and also allows the patient to transition in a much more smooth way when they leave the hospital and leave our direct care, and come back under the care of their own primary care physician.
