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Douglas P. Kiel, MD
Evans Medical Group Boston University Medical Center

JAMA. 1985;253(14):2042.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

To the Editor.—

I have just read the Nov 2, 1984, JAMA article entitled "Continuity of Outpatient Medical Care in Elderly Men," by Wasson et al.¹ It was reassuring to hear that provider continuity makes a difference. However, there was one outcome variable that I found hard to explain. How does provider continuity account for a ten-day difference in hospital stay? The authors failed to speculate on this surprising outcome.

In the review of the characteristics of patients during the so-called equilibration period, it was noted that both groups had equal percentages of patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and respiratory diseases. Missing from the analysis was a measure of disease severity. Also, the presence of other chronic diseases might affect length of hospital stay. To imply a causal relationship between continuity of care and length of hospital stay, the investigators must ensure equality between the two groups studied. . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

Footnotes
Edited by Drummond Rennie, MD, Senior Contributing Editor.

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