What patient safety issues may arise when a specialist assumes a primary care role or vice versa?
Specialists assuming primary care duties run the risk of overlooking problems outside their specialty. Physicians accustomed to treating only one aspect of a patient’s needs must be especially vigilant about maintaining responsibility for the whole patient, both in preventive care and in following up on referrals to specialists. Clinicians whose roles and patient bases are changing might consider continuing medical education programs targeting those changes. Primary care providers may find they are doing things that were previously done only by specialists. Clinicians whose roles and patient bases are changing need clear guidelines (systemwide or personal) for when to refer. For those new practices that are being assumed, continuing medical education programs targeting those areas is also recommended.
