Communication between intensive care unit doctors and general practitioners: A sequential multiphase project to increase prevalence of communication

BACKGROUND: General practitioners (GPs) serve a pivotal role in the healthcare system and typically have substantial insights into their patients' health. However, communication between intensive care unit (ICU) medical staff and GPs is infrequent. OBJECTIVES: To explore communication between ICU medical staff and GPs, and codesign a strategy to increase communication. DESIGN: A sequential multiphase project comprising (i) a survey; (ii) development of a protocol to promote communication; and (iii) quantification of the effect of introducing the protocol. Participants were ICU medical staff from a single-hospital and GPs from 12 clinics. Outcomes were survey responses and ICU documentation of communication with a GP before (July-September 2023) and after (July-September 2024) the introduction of a communication protocol. RESULTS: Fifty-one ICU doctors and 47 GPs provided survey responses. Communication was reported to "rarely" or "never" occur by 30 (64%) GPs and 29 (57%) of ICU respondents. All but one respondent (1 GP) considered ICU-GP communication to be helpful. Most (100% ICU doctors, 85% GPs) preferred to communicate by telephone, and approximately half (53% ICU doctors, 57% GPs) thought this should occur only if ICU staff needed information rather than for all ICU admissions. A communication protocol was developed, encouraging ICU doctors to have a telephone call with the GP of patients with unplanned or ≥48-h ICU admissions. ICU doctors contacted GPs for 1.5% of admissions (12/784) before and 2.1% of admissions (17/801) after introduction of a communication protocol (P = 0.45). CONCLUSIONS: ICU medical staff members and GPs value communication about their patients who are critically ill. A strategy to increase prevalence of ICU medical staff calling GPs was not effective, and further research is required to improve this.