Continuity of Outpatient and Inpatient Care by Primary Care Physicians for Hospitalized Older Adults

Abstract
Continuity of care is a defining attribute of primary care and a core element of the Institute of Medicine definition of primary care.1 Continuity is generally recognized to have 3 dimensions—continuity in information, continuity in management, and continuity in the patient-physician relationship.2,3 Relationship continuity is the ongoing interaction of a patient with one physician, which results in increased knowledge of patient preferences, better communication, and improved trust.4,5 Guthrie et al6 have argued that relationship continuity is especially important for older patients, because of the greater likelihood of multiple chronic conditions that benefit from informed management and shared decision making.