Coordinating the patient care may actually make the difference between life and death. The inovolvement of more than one physicians in the treatment of a patient means that some doctors might have important information that needs to be relayed to the patient as well as the other physicians for appropriate follow up. Without it the patient could very well go on not receiving appropriate and essential treatment. Many people think that the doctor will contact them in case there are any adverse findings from tests ordered by the doctor.
Generally, when people do not receive a follow up communication from a doctor many view that as an indication that everthing is fine and that there is no need for them to follow up with the doctor. It becomes more problematic, however, if the one doctor who is on the right track ends up not communicating his or her suspicions and the other physicians are not catching the signs and not ordering the proper tests.