title: GPs' attitudes to personal continuity: findings from everyday practice differ from postal surveys.
abstract: We conducted a study in which we measured GPs' attitudes towards personal continuity directly after consultations, and identified which factors predicted its perceived importance. Moreover, we related these data to attitudes as measured by a postal survey. GPs varied considerably in their attitudes towards personal continuity. Continuity was valued for serious and psychosocial issues and also for routine checks for a chronic illness. There was no relation whatsoever between the importance that individual GPs attached to continuity after consultations, and their scores on the postal survey.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Practice, UMC St Radboud, Geert Grooteplein Noord 21, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands. H.Schers@hag.umcn.nl
authors.forename: Henk
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schers
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bor
authors.forename: Wil
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: van den Bosch
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Grol
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care / Q000592:standards*; D005194:Family Practice / Q000458:organization & administration*; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D009426:Netherlands; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000592:standards; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires