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Reader Remarks on:

Physician Continuity from Outpatient to Inpatient Care Is Declining

• Continuity of Care
• Continuity of care
• continuity of care

Continuity of Care

Carol K Smith, retired, 1 Jul 2009 7:46 PM EST

Competing interests: None declared

This is so very sad. How did this decline start? Who gave birth to the hospitalists - really terrible idea and this is proven by this article and the resulting incline of deaths especially in the gereatric segement of our society. After spending 45 years in the healthcare profession, and now in my "golden" years, I am disillusioned in the entire system. Doesn't someone want to try and fix this sad situation?

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Continuity of care

Thos. D. Johnson, retired, 2 Jul 2009 2:01 PM EST

Competing interests: None declared

There is a paucity of choice when dependence on hospitalists occurs. The problems are economic: a)more time is required by the attending personal physician without consideration of reimbursement and b)hospitals are increasingly competitive rather then supportive of regular stqff or personal physicians.

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continuity of care

julius eisenberg, retired, 19 Jul 2009 9:04 PM EST

Competing interests: None declared

hospitalists provide an increase in quality of care,beyond that measured by length of hospital stay,etc.

i base this this on my experience as a physician, patient and observer.

i do not think that a trade-off between that benefit and lack of continuity need be made..

when there is a known outpatient provider,good practise would mandate a fax/phone call and transmission of medicall records when discharged.

the technology exists and is already in place at many in and outpatient facilities

for those many without a stable medical provider there appear to be several options including an online file accessible from anywhere with the appropriate pin,dvd burned and given at time of discharge and etc.

with stimulus funds this may be a good time to implement.

technology or not, kaiser foundation clinics and hospitals were using hospitalists effectively during since my days in california in th 1950's

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