Navigating the Maze: A Narrative Review of Administrative Coordination as a Determinant of Quality in Complex Multi-Specialty Patient Care
Abstract
Background: The increasing prevalence of multi-morbidity and the specialization of modern medicine necessitate that patients navigate intricate journeys across numerous care settings and specialties. This fragmented landscape creates significant risks for care delays, communication failures, and adverse events, with traditional clinical coordination models often overlooking the pivotal administrative and informational backbone of care continuity.
Aim: This narrative review aims to synthesize existing evidence on the central, yet understudied, role of medical secretarial and health information management (HIM) professionals in coordinating complex patient journeys across specialties such as radiology, physiotherapy, dentistry, emergency medicine, and nursing. "
Methods: A comprehensive literature search of PubMed, CINAHL, ProQuest, and Google Scholar databases (2010-2024) was conducted.
Results: Effective navigation of multi-specialty care is fundamentally dependent on seamless administrative and informational orchestration. Key navigator functions identified include: master scheduling and appointment synchronization; proactive management of referral loops and insurance pre-authorizations; and the curation and timely sharing of complete health records. The novel application of "patient journey mapping" as an administrative tool is highlighted as a method to visualize and preemptively address systemic bottlenecks.
Conclusion: The quality, safety, and efficiency of complex patient care are inextricably linked to the performance of administrative coordination systems. Elevating the interdisciplinary role of medical secretarial and HIM professionals—through formalized navigation frameworks, integrated health IT, and interprofessional education—is a critical and undervalued strategy for achieving truly patient-centered, continuous care.
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References
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Authors
Copyright (c) 2024 Inshirah Mohammed Y Faqih, Ramzi Mohammed Y Faqih, Ahlam Mohammed Jaradi Tayran, Faisal Ahmad Eissi Qaysi, Norah Fahad Salah Alsamail, Asma Mudallah Abdullah Alrashidi, Ayman Ahmed Kenani, Abeer Sabi, Amnah Ahmed Hussain Khudashi, Abdullah Waleed Jafar, Ohoud Zafer Alamri, Hayat Nasser Assad Alkhaibari
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