Impact of Interdisciplinary Coordination between Nursing, Medical Secretaries, and Emergency Services on Patient Outcomes

Abstract

Working together effectively within the emergency department (ED) is key for nurses, medical secretaries and emergency medical services (EMS) to deliver timely, safe and quality patient care. Interdisciplinary coordination enhances communication, optimizes the flow of work and assists with continuity of care in the transition from prehospital to discharge. This review will examine the impact of interprofessional working in these professions and the published research on the impact of collaboration on the outcomes for the patient with regard to emergency health care. The evidence that is available suggests that effective communication and well-defined roles of the professionals has been shown to reduce treatment delays, errors, and medical incidents, improve patient safety,
shorten hospital stays and improve patient satisfaction. However, nurses and medical secretaries are also key players in the clinical decision making process, as they coordinate clinical care and facilitate the documentation and management of patient care.