Annals of family medicine
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We wanted to identify differences between diabetic patients who smoke and those who do not smoke to design more effective strategies to improve their diabetes care and encourage smoking cessation. ⋯ Clinicians should be aware that diabetic patients who smoke are more likely to report often feeling depressed and, even after adjusting for depression, are less likely to be active in self-care or to comply with diabetes care recommendations. Diabetic patients who smoke are special clinical challenges and are likely to require more creative and consistent clinical interventions and support.
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Inconsistent findings on the value of continuity of care can stem from variability in its importance to different subsets of patients. We therefore examined the association among patient and visit characteristics and extent to which the patient valued continuity of care (PVC). We hypothesized that continuity would be more important to patients who are older, sicker, and female, who have established a relationship with their physician, and whose visit addresses more complex problems. ⋯ Continuity of physician care is associated with more positive assessments of the visit and appears to be particularly important for more vulnerable patients. Health care systems and primary care practices should devote additional effort to maintaining a continuity relationship with these vulnerable patients.
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Annals of family medicine · Sep 2003
Impact of provider continuity on quality of care for persons with diabetes mellitus.
Many patients with diabetes fail to receive recommended monitoring tests. One reason might be inadequate continuity of care. This study examined the association between provider continuity and completion of monitoring tests for patients with diabetes mellitus. ⋯ This study found no association between provider continuity and completion of diabetes monitoring tests in a national privately insured population. Whereas continuity might benefit other aspects of health care, it does not appear to benefit improved monitoring for diabetes.
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Annals of family medicine · Sep 2003
ReviewDefining and measuring interpersonal continuity of care.
In an effort to learn more about the importance of continuity of care to physicians and patients, I reviewed the medical literature on continuity of care to define interpersonal continuity and describe how it has been measured and studied. ⋯ Future inquiry in family medicine should focus on better understanding the interpersonal dimension of continuity of care.