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Sick and considering visiting the doctor? Then, if possible, choose your regular doctor. A large-scale study in which ten million (!) doctor visits were analyzed shows that your trusted GP can help you faster and better.
Scientists at the University of Cambridge looked at anonymized data from the so-called Clinical practice research data link. More than ten million GP visits were registered between January 2007 and December 2017 at almost four hundred GP practices spread across Great Britain.
The researchers discovered that consultations with the same doctor help to build a relationship of trust. That bond, in turn, helps improve patient health care needs. This was especially true for people with chronic conditions, mental problems and older patients. The highest gains were observed in people over the age of 86, according to the medical journal Management Science.
It also emerged that people with a permanent GP spend an average of 18 percent more time between two consultations, compared to patients who visited different doctors. This offers an advantage to the doctors. This approach allows them to spend their time more efficiently and help more people.
“If doctors provide high-quality care to their regular patients, they are likely to keep them healthier. This will reduce the demand for consultations and increase the capacity to serve more patients,” the scientists said. “If you are a patient with complex healthcare needs, you don’t want to explain your entire health history at every appointment. If you have a regular doctor who is familiar with your history, this is a much more efficient use of time, for doctor and patient,” they emphasize.
2024-02-26 11:32:28
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