Does continuity of care improve patient outcomes?

Journal of Family Practice, Dec, 2004 by Michael D. Cabana, Sandra H. Jee

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Practice recommendations

* Sustained continuity of care (SCOC) improves quality of care, by decreasing hospitalizations, decreasing emergency department use, and improving receipt of preventive services (SOR: B, based primarily on cohort studies).

* SCOC has been consistently documented to improve quality of care for patients with chronic conditions such as asthma and diabetes (SOR: B, primarily on cohort studies).

Michael D. Cabana, MD, MPH, and Sandra H. Jee, MD, MPH

Child Health Evaluation and Research Unit, Division of General Pediatrics, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, Mich

Corresponding author: Michael D. Cabana, MD, MPH, 6-D-19 NIB, Box 0456, 300 North Ingalls Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0456. E-mail: mcabana@med.umich.edu