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05 Mar 2008
Children who receive treatment from the same doctor in their first six months are more likely to receive preventative health screenings for serious illnesses, a study into patient support suggests.
Research carried out by the University of Pennsylvania on 1,564 children found that repeated treatment from the same doctor proved important for children's health in the long-term.
The team noted that many children, particularly those from lower-income families, often do not receive adequate screening for anaemia, tuberculosis and lead toxicity early enough when treated by multiple medical staff.
"In 2008, there's a lot of discussion about the purpose of primary care and the benefits children achieve by having a regular doctor," lead author of the report Evaline Alessandrini said.
"We don't want to forget the basics and if there are simple ways to ensure those aspects of primary care are met, then we should find ways to get them done," she added.
The study, published in the journal Pediatrics, also recognised that in many cases continuity of care is difficult as certain visits require immediate medical attention from the first available doctor.
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