TY - JOUR
KW - chronic somatic illness
KW - Continuity of Patient Care
KW - Depression
KW - Family Practice
KW - Mental Disorders
AU - A. A. Uijen
AU - H. J. Schers
AU - A. H. Schene
AU - F. G. Schellevis
AU - P. Lucassen
AU - W. J. van den Bosch
A1 - 
AB - BACKGROUND: Existing studies about continuity of care focus on patients with a severe mental illness. OBJECTIVES: Explore the level of experienced continuity of care of patients at risk for depression in primary care, and compare these to those of patients with heart failure. METHODS: Explorative study comparing patients at risk for depression with chronic heart failure patients. Continuity of care was measured using a patient questionnaire and defined as ( 1 ) number of care providers contacted (personal continuity); ( 2 ) collaboration between care providers in general practice (team continuity) (six items, score 1-5); and ( 3 ) collaboration between GPs and care providers outside general practice (cross-boundary continuity) (four items, score 1-5). RESULTS: Most patients at risk for depression contacted several care providers throughout the care spectrum in the past year. They experienced high team continuity and low cross-boundary continuity. In their general practice, they contacted more different care providers for their illness than heart failure patients did (P < 0.01). Patients at risk for depression experienced a slightly better collaboration between these care providers in their practice: a mean score of 4.3 per item compared to 4.0 for heart failure patients (P = 0.03). The perceived cross-boundary continuity, however, was reversed: a mean score of 3.5 per item for patients at risk for depression, compared to 4.0 for heart failure patients (P = 0.01). CONCLUSION: The explorative comparison between patients at risk for depression and heart failure patients shows small differences in experienced continuity of care. This should be analysed further in a more robust study.
BT - The European journal of general practice
C5 - General Literature
CP - 3
CY - England
DO - 10.3109/13814788.2013.828201
IS - 3
JF - The European journal of general practice
N2 - BACKGROUND: Existing studies about continuity of care focus on patients with a severe mental illness. OBJECTIVES: Explore the level of experienced continuity of care of patients at risk for depression in primary care, and compare these to those of patients with heart failure. METHODS: Explorative study comparing patients at risk for depression with chronic heart failure patients. Continuity of care was measured using a patient questionnaire and defined as ( 1 ) number of care providers contacted (personal continuity); ( 2 ) collaboration between care providers in general practice (team continuity) (six items, score 1-5); and ( 3 ) collaboration between GPs and care providers outside general practice (cross-boundary continuity) (four items, score 1-5). RESULTS: Most patients at risk for depression contacted several care providers throughout the care spectrum in the past year. They experienced high team continuity and low cross-boundary continuity. In their general practice, they contacted more different care providers for their illness than heart failure patients did (P < 0.01). Patients at risk for depression experienced a slightly better collaboration between these care providers in their practice: a mean score of 4.3 per item compared to 4.0 for heart failure patients (P = 0.03). The perceived cross-boundary continuity, however, was reversed: a mean score of 3.5 per item for patients at risk for depression, compared to 4.0 for heart failure patients (P = 0.01). CONCLUSION: The explorative comparison between patients at risk for depression and heart failure patients shows small differences in experienced continuity of care. This should be analysed further in a more robust study.
PP - England
PY - 2014
SN - 1751-1402; 1381-4788
SP - 161
EP - 166
EP - 
T1 - Experienced continuity of care in patients at risk for depression in primary care
T2 - The European journal of general practice
TI - Experienced continuity of care in patients at risk for depression in primary care
U1 - General Literature
U2 - 24033228
U3 - 10.3109/13814788.2013.828201
VL - 20
VO - 1751-1402; 1381-4788
Y1 - 2014
ER -