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. 1997 May;43:901–906.

Long-term attendance at a family practice teaching unit. Qualitative study of patients' views.

J B Brown 1, I Dickie 1, L Brown 1, J Biehn 1
PMCID: PMC2255510  PMID: 9154362

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To identify the factors that contribute to patients' long-term attendance at a family practice teaching unit. DESIGN: Qualitative method of focus groups. SETTING: A community-based family practice teaching unit in southwestern Ontario. PARTICIPANTS: Patients who had been coming to St Joseph's Family Medical Centre for more than 15 years were purposefully selected to participate. METHOD: Five focus groups composed of patients who had been affiliated with one of the three practices at the Centre for more than 15 years explored factors contributing to long-term attendance. MAIN FINDINGS: Four key themes were identified as the primary factors contributing to long-term attendance: the relationship context, the team concept, professional responsibility and attitudes, and comprehensive and convenient care. CONCLUSION: The resource-rich era of medical care, during which participants formulated their views and opinions about the factors contributing to their long-term attendance at a family practice teaching unit, has come to a close. The findings of this study provide important information that could help maintain one of the basic tenets of family medicine-continuity of care.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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