Question

Which of the following are features of clinical integration?

1) Coordinated delivery of patient care
2) Use of a team of providers to provide care
3) All care provided in a single location
4) Need for couriers to move paper medical records from place to place
5) Patient care facilitated by an electronic health record
6) Choices A, B, and E
7) All of the above

Answer 1

Clinical integration features include the coordinated delivery of patient care, a team of providers, and the facilitation of care via an electronic health record. The final answer reflecting these aspects is option 6, which includes choices A, B, and E. This approach supports efficient and improved healthcare delivery, often involving consolidation and integration of services.

Step-by-step explanation:

Clinical integration involves various elements designed to enhance the delivery and coordination of health care services. Coordinated delivery of patient care, the utilization of a diverse team of providers, and patient care bolstered by electronic health records (EHRs) are primary features of clinical integration. Team-based care ensures that multiple health professionals contribute their expertise towards patient care, while EHRs help in effectively sharing patient information among providers, thereby improving care quality and efficiency.

Contrarily, not all care is necessarily provided at a single location, and the reliance on couriers for moving paper records is greatly reduced with the use of digital records. Thus, options 1, 2, and 5 collectively (option 6) represent features of clinical integration relevant to improving healthcare delivery. The shift to clinical integration and the consolidation of healthcare services have been partly motivated by the need to address rising demand and the aging population, aiming to create a more streamlined, effective healthcare system while also considering privacy concerns of EHRs.