Fragmented care can cause a number of problems.
Problems that can occur with fragmented healthcare:
(1) duplicate orders
(2) overprescribing or duplicate prescribing
(3) delays in testing
(4) patient injury
Operational impact of fragmented care:
(1) confusion as to who is in charge or who has responsibility
(2) unwillingness to discontinue anything ordered by someone else
(3) uncertainty about goals
(4) stress
Consequences:
(1) higher costs
(2) difficulty in reconciling medications
(3) inefficient use of resources (prolonged hospital stays, etc)
(4) decreased overall satisfaction
