Continuity of care suggestions

Dr Lemire’s column¹ in the June issue of Canadian Family Physician is important and we offer some comments from the United Kingdom.

The beneficial outcomes associated with continuity of family physician care are even stronger than those listed, and now include reduced mortality,² which has been shown to be linked specifically with primary care.³

Continuity is certainly falling in the United Kingdom as well, but encouragingly it is still being provided in some practices at a good level.

We offer 2 suggestions: it is important to measure the continuity provided, and simple organizational systems within practices linking patients with family physicians who feel responsible for them still work.

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