The effect of the doctor-patient relationship on emergency department use among the elderly
American Journal of Public HealthPublished 1 January 2000Open access
Roger A. Rosenblatt, George E. Wright, Laura‐Mae Baldwin, Leighton Chan, P Clitherow, F M Chen
Citations103
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TL;DR
The presence of a continuous relationship with a physician--regardless of specialty--may reduce emergency department use among the elderly, and most visits are for serious medical problems.
Abstract
The rate of emergency department use among the elderly is substantial, and most visits are for serious medical problems. The presence of a continuous relationship with a physician--regardless of specialty--may reduce emergency department use.
Keywords
Economics, Econometrics and FinanceHealth Professions
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