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- Page navigation anchor for Measuring interpersonal continuityMeasuring interpersonal continuityShow More
I am flattered that Professor Freeman enjoyed our paper on interpersonal continuity and I agree that this is a very difficult topic for family physicians to study objectively. For many of us, ongoing relationships with our patients is the primary characteristic that attracted us to family medicine as a career choice. Having spent hundreds of hours reading these papers, I honestly don't think that a truely skeptical pol...
Competing Interests: None declared. - Page navigation anchor for Interpersonal continuity and health system reformInterpersonal continuity and health system reformShow More
Dr. Elizabeth A. Bayliss finds it unlikely that every family physician will be able to provide comprehensive and continuing care to any patient as American health care becomes more complex. I think this depends on how we choose to define comprehensive care. Once upon a time, most of America's family physicians were in solo practice. But this hasn't been the case for over a generation now, and we have never really come...
Competing Interests: None declared. - Page navigation anchor for Importance of measuring the interpersonal element of continuityImportance of measuring the interpersonal element of continuityI really enjoyed the paper from Saultz and Albedaiwi (1). I agree that interpersonal continuity of care is the element of CoC most relevant to primary care/general/family practice. It is indeed crucial to know if it makes a difference. Therefore, like Stewart in her magisterial editorial (2), I am much encouraged by these positive findings. But most writers about continuity of care are enthusiasts for it and as academics we sho...Show MoreCompeting Interests: None declared.
- Page navigation anchor for Continuity of care in a changing health care system.Continuity of care in a changing health care system.Show More
In their article, Interpersonal Continuity of Care and Patient Satisfaction: A Critical Review (1), Drs. Saultz and Albedaiwi review the literature on one of the basic tenets of Family Medicine. In doing so they emerge with a consistent message: higher levels of interpersonal continuity of care correlate with higher levels of patient satisfaction. Not only is it reassuring to be reminded that this part of the definition...
Competing Interests: None declared. - Page navigation anchor for continuity and patient satisfactioncontinuity and patient satisfactionShow More
Saultz and Albedaiwi have provided a useful summary of the evidence about the relationship between continuity and satisfaction.1 They also highlight the difficulties of the current evidence, including the various definitions of continuity in use, and the disadvantage of lumping all patients together - some may regard continuity as important, but others may not.
In a recent qualitative study in primary care, we...
Competing Interests: None declared.