Seeing the same doctor over time lowers death rates

Seeing the same doctor over
time 'lowers death rates'

Repeated contact with the same doctor can be beneficial in many
ways
Patients who see the same doctor again and again
have lower death rates, a study suggests.
The benefits applied to visits to GPs and specialists and
were seen across different cultures and health systems.
University of Exeter researchers said the human aspect
of medical practice was "potentially life-saving" but had
been neglected.
GPs' leaders said they recognised the value of patients
seeing "their own" doctor.
Because of intense workforce pressures, however, this
could mean waiting even longer for an appointment, the
Royal College of GPs said.
Continuity of care is known to be particularly beneficial
for patients with chronic conditions, long-term mental
health issues and complex needs
The study, published in BMJ Open, analysed the results
of 22 studies in nine countries, including England,
France, US, Canada and South Korea.
Eighteen of the studies indicated that contact with the
same doctor over an average of two years meant fewer
deaths over the periods studied, compared with other
patients.
The researchers said continuity of care was important
and should be given a higher priority in healthcare
planning.
'Better communication'
Prof Philip Evans, from the University of Exeter Medical
School, said: "Continuity of care happens when a patient
and a doctor see each other repeatedly and get to know
each other.
"This leads to better communication, patient satisfaction,
adherence to medical advice and much lower use of
hospital services."
Sir Denis Pereira Gray, from St Leonard's GP practice in
Exeter, who also worked on the study, said: "Patients
have long known that it matters which doctor they see
and how well they can communicate with them.
"Until now, arranging for patients to see the doctor of
their choice has been considered a matter of
convenience or courtesy.
"Now, it is clear it is about the quality of medical
practice and is literally 'a matter of life and death'."
Team effort
Prof Kamila Hawthorne, vice-chair of the Royal College of
GPs (RCGP), said many practices were trying out
different approaches such as patients being assigned a
team of healthcare professionals, including a GP, who
had access to their records and could build relationships
with them.
She said: "Balancing continuity of care with timely
access to GP services is a huge challenge for general
practice. And ultimately the answer is more GPs and
more resources for the profession."
NHS England has pledged £2.4bn extra a year for
general practice and 5,000 more GPs by 2020.
The RCGP said these must be delivered to safeguard the
future of general practice and patient care

Source : BBC