Continuity of care. Opportunity for residents to see repeat patients.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the opportunity for first-year family medicine residents to experience continuity of care during family medicine block time and half-day returns.


METHODS
Retrospective analysis of patient encounter data during the 1987-1988 and 1991-1992 academic years to determine how much contact residents had with repeat patients.


METHODS
Two family medicine teaching centres in Edmonton.


METHODS
First-year family medicine residents: 24 residents during 1987-1988 and 24 during 1991-1992.


METHODS
Number of patient-resident contacts and number of repeat contacts.


RESULTS
During the 4-month block time and half-day return, residents had repeat contact with 25.9% and 20.3% of the patients seen. These patients provided 48.3% and 37.7% of all visits at Centres A and B, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Increasing block time from 2 to 4 months resulted in only a slight increase in repeat contact with patients. Half-day returns did not appear to enhance the opportunity for continuity of care.
Bell
N R
NR
Department of Family Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton.
Szafran
O
O
D000416:Alberta; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005194:Family Practice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009819:Office Visits / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors