Continuity of care saves misery and money

Abstract

Many of us intuitively feel that continuity of IVI of bare is right and important. We argue that continuity brings less work and saves time. To form a new relationship requires more time. At a second, and subsequent visit part of the work is already done. When we talk about the therapeutic value of the doctor-patient relationship, we know from experience that this takes time. In advising a person about a chronic disease process or assisting someone through a terminal illness, matters are understood, faced and dealt with in bits and pieces at the appropriate time. With discontinuity of care it is difficult to know what happened before. A recent study from Darbmouth, USA I has measured the outcome of continuity of Outpatient Medical Care in elderly men in a carefully controlled experiment. They grrre evidence for a significant decrease in emergency admissions and in length of hospital stay for those people who had continuity of care. It shows therefore that elderly patients and their relatives are saved a lot of misery, anxiety and expense to themselves and the taxpayer.