What are the safety risks for patients undergoing treatment by multiple specialties: a retrospective patient record review study | BMC-HSR

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If multiple medical specialties are involved in treatment there is a danger of increasing risks to patient safety. 

This is due to the need for greater co-ordination and communication with other specialties, less emergency cover for individual sub-specialties, and a drop in general care and the overview of care. 

This study developed in The Netherlands, aims to determine if the number of medical specialties treating a patient is associated with the risk of experiencing harm during hospital admission.

Conclusions (part.)

The more specialties treating a patient the greater the risk of an adverse event. This finding became more pronounced for preventable adverse events than for non-preventable adverse events after corrections for the characteristics of the patient and their health care.