Why Keeping the Same Doctor Can Help You Live Longer
Did you know that knowing your primary care doctor can improve your health AND save you hassle and money? Those of you who have been seeing the same doctor over the years might be in luck — new research out of the U.K. suggests that visiting the same physician over time could save your life. Consistently visiting the same doctor over the course of several years has been associated with a lower risk of long term illness and in some cases even death, according to a research review published last month in BMJ Open. “Our research has found that patient accessibility is the number one driver of physician loyalty today”- Hamza Hasan Read Advisory Board’s take on this story. Study details “For the study, researchers from the United Kingdom looked at 22 studies from nine countries, including the United States, to determine the relationship between “continuity of care” and mortality”.
The researchers found 18 of the studies they reviewed showed statistically significant reductions in mortality among patients who consistently saw the same doctor. Of those 18 studies, 16 showed lower all-cause mortality, according to the paper. The period over which continuity was measured “varied greatly between studies” included in the review, the authors wrote. Specifically, it ranged from “a single weekend in the hospital up to 17 years,” according to the review. The correlation and benefits between a long-term relationship with a doctor and your health are just incredible to read about! This is just one of the many reasons why we, at Rockwell Physicians, will keep moving forward to better your health and strength our long-term relationships with our patients. The quality of your life and who you are matters most to us .

