title: Can continuity of care be improved? Results from a randomized pilot study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although continuity of care is an important component of primary care, few mechanisms for improving it have been studied.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine if automated reminders to providers and patient schedulers can improve continuity of care in a practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective randomized controlled trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four hundred and nine patients in the lowest tertile of continuity of care in a university-affiliated clinic with a computerized information system were randomized to 1 of 4 groups: 1) control (no reminder), 2) provider alert, 3) scheduler alert, or 4) provider and scheduler alert.
  
  
  METHODS
  Continuity of care as measured by a previously described dispersion index that ranges from 0 to 1.Results.-Initial continuity of care was.134 (standard deviation,.07). In a linear regression model, 9 months after implementation of the system, both the provider-prompt group (.027 [.006,.05]) and the provider and scheduler group (.024 [.001,.054]) were associated with increased continuity compared with the control group
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prompting providers for patients with poor continuity of care may improve it.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics and the Child Health Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, 98115-8160, USA. dachris@u.washington.edu
authors.forename: Dimitri A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Christakis
authors.forename: Jeffrey A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Wright
mesh_terms: D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001331:Automation; D002648:Child; D002662:Child Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D017010:Reminder Systems; D014495:Universities; D014861:Washington