June 29, 2018

expert reaction to impact of seeing the same doctor on each

In a systematic review, published in BMJ Open, researchers investigate continuity of care with doctors.

Dr Kamal Mahtani, GP & Deputy Director, Centre for Evidence Based Medicine, Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, said:

“This new research provides systematically derived evidence that seeing the same doctor is associated with a reduced chance of death. This is an important finding and backs up previous research suggesting that continuity of clinical care is also associated with other health benefits. The study does some have limitations. Data is drawn from a variety of countries, each with different health care systems. As the authors also highlight, there is a risk that other studies, showing no association, may exist, but were not found by this piece of research. Most importantly, the data suggests association, not causation. Collectively, this will, to some degree, limit generalisability.

“Nevertheless, the findings are relevant and topical given the significant changes taking place in healthcare systems across the world, including the NHS. Policymakers seeking to redesign healthcare systems, should consider how continuity of care will be maintained. Failure to do this may well have negative impacts on patients’ wellbeing.”

* ‘Continuity of care with doctors—a matter of life and death? A systematic review of continuity of care and mortality’ by Pereira Gray et al. published in BMJ Open on Friday 29^th June. 

Declared interests

Dr Kamal Mahtani: “I have received funding to conduct research from the NHS National Institute for Health Research. I also work as an NHS GP in Oxford. No other COI to declare.”