Continuity of care in general practice: effect on patient satisfaction.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the influence of continuity of care on patient satisfaction with consultations.


METHODS
Direct and episodic specific evaluation of patient satisfaction with recent consultation.


METHODS
A representative sample of 3918 Norwegian primary care patients were asked to evaluate their consultations by filling in a questionnaire. The response rate was 78%.


METHODS
The patient's overall satisfaction with the consultation was rated on a six point scale. Continuity of care was recorded as the duration and intensity of the present patient-doctor relationship and as patients' perception of the present doctor being their personal doctor or not.


RESULTS
The multivariate analysis indicated that an overall personal patient-doctor relationship increased the odds of the patient being satisfied with the consultation sevenfold (95% confidence interval 4.9 to 9.9) as compared with consultations where no such relationships existed. The duration of the patient-doctor relationship had a weak but significant association with patient satisfaction, while the intensity of contacts showed no such association.


CONCLUSIONS
Personal, continuous care is linked with patient satisfaction. If patient satisfaction is accepted as an integral part of quality health care, reinforcing personal care may be one way of increasing this quality.
Hjortdahl
P
P
Department of General Practice, University of Oslo, Norway.
Laerum
E
E
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care; D005194:Family Practice / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D013997:Time Factors