MODELING AND EVALUATION OF CONTINUITY OF CARE IN A STAFF MODEL HMO

The concept of continuity in medicine refers to the delivery of care i n an uninterrupted and coordinated manner and in accordance with the p atient's medical needs. Many diseases and symptoms require serial obse rvation and treatment over long periods and are interwoven with the pa tient's personal and social circumstances. We believe that the depth o f a primary care provider's understanding of a patient is directly pro portional to the total length of interaction between the patient and p rovider. We have reviewed the published studies in this area, and mode led continuity of care in an HMO clinic. The patients' ages, their vis iting patterns, and the Length of their interactions with their doctor s were synthesized stochastically. We now propose a new way of definin g continuity of care, the Fundamental Continuity of Care Index (FCCI), and recommend its use. Hospitals, insurance companies, and government s should be aware of the benefits of continuity, and all physicians sh ould commit themselves to longitudinal care for their patients.