Give Yourself and Your Doctor a Chance by Seeing the Same Doctor Twice

A study by researchers at the University of Exeter Medical School in the United Kingdom found lower mortality rates when patients received healthcare from the same doctor.

Professor Philip Evans, one of the researchers, explained that continuity of care is a relationship shaped by repeated familiarity and good communication between patient and doctor. Receiving care from a physician who knows the patient produces highly beneficial outcomes, such as greater satisfaction and reduced hospital admissions.

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Published as a systematic review, the study used 22 high-quality studies conducted at different times in nine countries with different cultures and healthcare systems. Maintaining continuity of healthcare was ultimately associated with 82 percent fewer deaths.

The researchers concluded that mortality falls when a patient is seen periodically or continuously by the same doctor. The study highlighted the “potentially lifesaving” role of human interactions in medical practice. It even concluded that this issue should take greater priority than advanced technologies and new treatments.

This groundbreaking finding spans many medical fields, including family medicine, psychiatry, oncology and surgery.

Researchers said they better understood the importance of recognizing the vital role of doctor–patient communication. Until now, patients’ desire to see a doctor of their choice had been viewed as a matter of convenience and courtesy. From now on, continuity of care should also be remembered as playing an important role in healthcare quality.

In seeking solutions to health problems, going from doctor to doctor is also common in our country. Yet because of the nature of diseases, diagnosing or finding the most suitable treatment is often impossible at the first step. Sometimes correct diagnosis or treatment is reached by ruling out possibilities or following sequential steps. This study shows the importance of continuing with a doctor who has a memory of the patient , and actually also supports the second opinion system. In diseases such as cancer, a second opinion also supports the patient’s primary physician. Today, doctors themselves even encourage patients to seek another opinion so they can continue treatment more satisfied and with fewer unanswered questions.

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