BACKGROUND Most studies investigating the effectiveness of Community Treatment Orders (CTOs) use readmission to hospital as the primary outcome. Another aim of introducing CTOs was to improve continuity of care. Our study was a 3-year prospective follow-up which tested for associations between CTOs and continuity of care. METHODS Our study sample included 333 patients recruited to the Oxford ...

OBJECTIVE To compare immigrants' and natives' perceptions of relational, managerial and informational continuity of care and to explore the influence of the length of stay on immigrants' perceptions of continuity. METHODS Cross-sectional study based on a survey of a random sample of 1,500 patients, of which 22% (331) were immigrants. The study area was made up by three healthcare areas of the...

OBJECTIVE We investigated the relationship between continuity of care and the quality of care received by patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. STUDY DESIGN We used a cross-sectional patient survey and medical record review. POPULATION Consecutive patients with an established diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus presented to 1 of 6 clinics within the Residency Research Network of South T...

OBJECTIVE To examine the relationship between continuity of family physician care and all-cause mortality and acute hospitalizations in older people with diabetes. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study of administrative health databases. Continuity of family physician care for elderly patients newly diagnosed with diabetes was estimated by 3 continuity indexes using physician claims data. The rel...

PURPOSE We wanted to undertake a critical review of the medical literature regarding the relationships between interpersonal continuity of care and the outcomes and cost of health care. METHODS A search of the MEDLINE database from 1966 through April 2002 was conducted by the primary author to fi nd original English language articles focusing on interpersonal continuity of patient care. The art...

BACKGROUND A central question for the organisation of mental health care is whether the same clinicians should be responsible for a patient's care across inpatient and outpatient settings (continuity of care) or if there should be separate teams (specialisation). Current reforms in Europe are inconsistent on which to favour, and are based on little research evidence. This review is the first sy...

INTRODUCTION In the Finnish primary health care, relational continuity of care is implemented in integrated maternity and child health clinics where the same nurse takes care of the family from the pregnancy until the child reaches school age. The aim of this study was to clarify the association between this relational continuity of care and the availability, utilisation and selected features o...