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- Page navigation anchor for Continuity of careContinuity of care
The Italian National Health Service is experimentally promoting forms of medical association as an answer to the problem of the continuity of care. Most of us still believe that personal continuity of care is an important part of good quality care. In my opinion the mantainance of patient-physician relationship is very important.
Competing interests: None declared
Competing Interests: None declared. - Page navigation anchor for Re: The role of Family PractitionersRe: The role of Family PractitionersShow More
Only three segments of family practitioners are studied. The scenario is different in different parts of the world besides those where this published study originated. The family doctor is supposed to be the first contact physician and gate keeper for secondary care; still he has a vital role in a comprehensive health care delivery system. Many nations ought to introduce the family practice chair in medical colleges....
Competing Interests: None declared. - Page navigation anchor for The role of Family PractitionersThe role of Family PractitionersShow More
The Family Practitioner is a personal doctor and health care provider for the members of the families he looks after. He is the first line and first person to be contacted regarding any health problem and that depends on the trust and doctor patient relationship, this trust and relationship could not be built without continuity of care and multiple contacts between the patient and same doctor. Imagine if the patient has to...
Competing Interests: None declared. - Page navigation anchor for Surprise at the original question.Surprise at the original question.Show More
Having retired after some 45 year in General Practice (in the original sense of that term), I am really surprised that such a question should be raised. I was extremely lucky in having excellent relationships with "MY patients". After I had retired from full time practice, several of them drove (some 300 kms) to where I only worked part time - just to see me! Needless to say I was thrilled and delighted that I had m...
Competing Interests: None declared. - Page navigation anchor for Trust and Personal Relationship with GP is VitalTrust and Personal Relationship with GP is VitalShow More
My Internal Medicine physician, and GI specialist have been my doctors since 1985. My eye doctor has been my doctor since 1976. My allergist has been my allergy doctor for 13 years. Continuity of care in all my physicians is very important to me, to the point that I am willing to pay extra for freedom of choice. I pay extra co-pays, and a larger portion of my bill, as well as a higher bill for my insurance.
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Competing Interests: None declared. - Page navigation anchor for Validation needed?Validation needed?
Someone actually took time to survey this?? Is common sense lost? How can it not be acknowledged that someone has to monitor and coordinate. The survey might have said " Do you love us? Do you really love us?? Check the appropriate box. LOL
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Competing Interests: None declared. - Page navigation anchor for Continuity of Care: Important for Whom?Continuity of Care: Important for Whom?Show More
Stokes et al. provide results from a multi-national survey of general practitioners to assess perceptions of the importance of personal continuity of care. The underlying premise, expressed in the title of this article, “Continuity of Care: Is the Personal Doctor Still Important?” is that continuity is a part of the historical bedrock of general practice and therefore retains unique importance. This premise is a hindrance...
Competing Interests: None declared. - Page navigation anchor for Continuity of Care: Whom we need to involve ?Continuity of Care: Whom we need to involve ?The originality of this work lies in the fact that no recent surveys have been performed internationally to track the Family Physicians or GP's views on the issue. This adds to the compelling evidence that continuity and personal care are beneficial ( as mentioned in the comment by Jennifer E Lochner). I also like the fact that this is a multinational study. It is interesting that the majority of GP's (68.5% in England& W...Show MoreCompeting Interests: None declared.
- Page navigation anchor for Interesting differences between US and England, Wales, and the NetherlandsInteresting differences between US and England, Wales, and the NetherlandsShow More
General practitioners and family physicians value the relationships they form with their patients over time. I’m not surprised at this finding by Stokes et.al. in their survey of doctors from England and Wales, the Netherlands, and the United States. It fits with my personal beliefs about interpersonal continuity of care as well as previous research on this subject.
One interesting and more surprising p...
Competing Interests: None declared. - Page navigation anchor for Continuity of Care: The Best is Yet to ComeContinuity of Care: The Best is Yet to ComeShow More
Hooray for continuity of care. Family Physicians in the 3 countries studied value it highly. Patients do too, an even more important finding. What impresses me is how much continuity is valued in a traditional practice of episodic visits. Patients and personal family physicians have an intuitive sense that each are "out there and available" when needed. Having a personal physician is right up there with having family a...
Competing Interests: None declared. - Page navigation anchor for continuity of care: a goal BEFORE redesigning health care systemscontinuity of care: a goal BEFORE redesigning health care systemsShow More
This study reemphasizes the value of continuity for GPs across different health care systems and provides some evidence under which circumstances the attitude of GPs towards continuity might be influenced. Considering the body of evidence supporting continuity why should we drop it? Who´s interest would it be? In fact, is it in the interest of anybody or rather the consequence of ignoring the impact of continuity on pat...
Competing Interests: None declared. - Page navigation anchor for Continuity of care: What is this discussion really about?Continuity of care: What is this discussion really about?Show More
The third issue of the Annals of Family Medicine in 2003 dealt with continuity of care and generated an interesting international discussion [1]. Part of the comments I made for that discussion [2] are also actual in the present one. Stokes et al. present in this issue of the Annals an article that, as many times before, asks whether “the personal doctor is still important”. As presented in the abstract of the article, t...
Competing Interests: None declared.