What Is Surgical Co-management?

What Is Surgical Co-management?

Have you ever been to a hospital where you enjoyed the benefits of surgical co-management? Healthcare co-management is the shared responsibility, accountability, and authority for the health care of a patient in the hospital. The practice involves specialists and surgeons. It has become the backbone of hospital medicine. 

In this arrangement, the specialist (hospitalist) manages a patient’s medical conditions. On the other hand, the surgeon takes care of treatments that need surgery.

Limitations of Conventional Methods

In a traditional consultation, specialists usually take a secondary role. They can only offer consultation services at the invitation of the surgeon. More so, they can only refer to a limited set of issues. For this reason, the patient’s health needs might not receive attention optimally.

This results in delaying or losing the opportunity to prevent complications. In this scenario, the specialist’s input is just a recommendation to the surgeon. The surgeon can, in turn, choose to follow the recommendations or disregard them.

Co-management in General

As opposed to traditional methods, co-management involves sharing of authority, accountability, and responsibility. The popularity of co-management has been on the increase due to various reasons. 

Many elderly patients with multiple health conditions need surgery. According to research by the Society of Hospital Medicine (SHM), about 85 percent of hospitalist groups in the U.S. are more involved in co-management in one way or another.

How Co-management Works

Surgical and medical co-management can take many forms. The internist or surgeon will usually assume the primary responsibility. Moreover, this arrangement is usually in writing. This means it is a legally binding agreement. It is an agreement between the entire medical and surgical team. This also includes hospital management. 

The Co-management Agreement

The co-management agreement contains the rules and protocols. Before the procedure, all the parties involved negotiate all matters for the commencement of health care to the patient. As opposed to the conventional consultation method, a co-management relationship is very formal. The roles of the internist and the surgeon assume a proper definition in this agreement. 

The surgeon and internist must have an honest oral discussion. They will discuss and define the roles each of them will play. They will come up with clear guidelines on who leads when communicating to the team or the patient. They will also agree on who takes the primary responsibility for caring for the patient.

Autonomy in Co-management

Unlike conventional consultations that have limitations, co-management offers more leeway. An internist can take a more universal approach. They can address all medical issues that arise because they are responsible for all matters relating to their patient's medical health. 

They can write orders and decide which tests are suitable. They can also choose which treatment to administer. They can also have direct discussions with the patient on any medical aspects of the patient’s care plan. The collaborative nature of co-management results in better care for patients.

To know more about surgical co-management, visit Auglaize Family Eye Care at our office in Wapakoneta, Ohio. You can call (419) 775-4300 today to schedule an appointment.