Quality and Outcomes Reports - Emergency Medicine

Referring Physician Satisfaction

Why we measure it - An important indicator of how we are doing is what referring doctors think of the care we provide their patients, the timeliness of our communication with them and the availability of our staff to answer their questions.

What this means - Overall, responses are very favorable. The areas of improvement are the value of the information provided and the overall care patients receive.

About the data - In 2010, a third-party vendor conducted a survey of physicians who regularly refer patients to Children's Hospital of Wisconsin and provided this feedback. Surveys are conducted every two years. Due to the implementation of EPIC in the fall of 2012, referring physician surveys were not done in 2012. Our next survey will be conducted in 2014.

Related dimensions of care:

What we're doing to provide the best care:

  • Information from referring doctors is documented and shared with the team caring for the patient. We contact referring doctors who request a callback with the outcome of the visit. Emergency Department reports are sent to primary care physicians by fax shortly after the visit.
  • Our outreach nurse is available to answer questions about the Emergency Department visit and to help with follow-up on test results.

Patients and families:

  • Bring a full list of your child's medicines.  Be sure to include over-the-counter medicines such as vitamins and supplements.
  • Children should not eat or drink anything (including water) if you suspect they have a deep cut or broken bone.  This is because they may need surgery.
  • Have your insurance card and paperwork available.  We may need to gather relevant information from you before seeing the doctor.
  • Bring the name, address, phone and fax numbers of your child's primary care and/or referring doctor so we can update him or her on your child's care.
  • Ask questions if you don't understand the plan of care or if you are not sure how to care for your child at home.

Referring physicians:

  • If you receive a satisfaction survey, please share your experience with us. Let us know what is important to you and please provide any suggestions you may have for improvement.
  • Contact the physician liaison in your area to provide feedback:
  • Referring physicians can access our specialists for consultation or transport 24 hours a day. Call our physician referral line at (800) 266-0366.  
  • Health care providers from outside of our southeastern Wisconsin service area are encouraged to use our web-based
    e-Consult service. This service is available for non-urgent patient cases only and gives providers access to our specialists to review patient cases, obtain medical advice or second opinions, and receive care recommendations for rare symptoms and illnesses.
    e-Consult is not to be used by the general public, parents/guardians or families.
  • Care guidelines for medical professionals
  • Educational materials
  • Pocket Directory

If you have questions about this information, email us or call (414) 266-6556.