Improving collaboration between specialists and general practitioners in services for individuals with chronic spinal cord injury living in rural areas of Switzerland: Baseline results from the SCI-Co study

This study investigates how well general practitioners (GPs) and spinal cord injury (SCI) specialists work together in rural Switzerland. The goal is to understand if a collaborative care model is feasible to improve the long-term care of individuals with SCI. The researchers surveyed GPs and SCI specialists to assess their satisfaction with current collaboration, focusing on aspects like communication, organization, and professional expertise. The survey aimed to identify areas where collaboration could be improved. The findings reveal that both GPs and specialists are generally satisfied with their collaboration. However, GPs expressed concerns about the discharge process from specialists and the quality of their referrals, indicating potential areas for improvement.

• 1
  Overall, satisfaction ratings for the collaboration between GPs and SCI specialists were high, indicating a positive working relationship between primary and specialized care providers.
• 2
  GPs expressed a desire to improve the quality of their referrals to specialists, suggesting a need for better guidelines or communication strategies in the referral process.
• 3
  GPs were discontent about discharge organization by specialists, highlighting potential issues with communication and coordination during the transition of patients from specialized to primary care.