Alazri Mohammed, Heywood Phil, Leese Brenda
Centre for Research in Primary Care, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
Eur J Gen Pract. 2007;13(2):75-82. doi: 10.1080/13814780701379048.
Continuity of care is widely regarded as an important feature of general practice, but the role of receptionists in influencing continuity has been the subject of little research.
To explore how receptionists might influence access and continuity of care in general practice.
A questionnaire survey of receptionists in practices in Leeds, UK, was conducted. All 119 practices in Leeds were contacted to recruit receptionists via practice managers. A total of 148 receptionists responded from 50 practices.
The majority of receptionists (140, 94%) perceived continuity as team continuity. Most (139, 93%) felt it was important for the patient to be seen on the same day by any doctor, rather than the usual doctor. They were less willing to ask patients for more details of a routine problem than an urgent one. The majority (113, 76%) thought that non-attendance was more related to patient issues than to their own behaviour. Organizational factors affected how receptionists offered appointments. Advanced access could impede longitudinal continuity and, indirectly, relational continuity. Having a policy to deal with urgent appointments or routine appointments could facilitate such continuity.
The majority of receptionists perceived continuity as a team response rather than longitudinal. However, if relational continuity is to survive in UK and European general practice, educational and training measures would need to be taken to promote these values to receptionists.
连续性医疗被广泛视为全科医疗的一个重要特征，但接待员在影响连续性方面所起的作用却鲜有研究。
探讨接待员可能如何影响全科医疗中医疗服务的可及性和连续性。
对英国利兹市各诊所的接待员进行了问卷调查。通过诊所经理联系了利兹市的所有119家诊所，以招募接待员。共有来自50家诊所的148名接待员做出了回应。
大多数接待员（140名，94%）将连续性视为团队连续性。大多数人（139名，93%）认为患者当天能见到任何一位医生比见到常诊医生更重要。与紧急问题相比，他们不太愿意询问患者常规问题的更多细节。大多数人（113名，76%）认为未就诊更多与患者自身问题有关，而非他们自己的行为。组织因素影响接待员安排预约的方式。提前预约可能会阻碍纵向连续性，进而间接影响关系连续性。制定处理紧急预约或常规预约的政策有助于实现这种连续性。
大多数接待员将连续性视为团队的反应，而非纵向的。然而，如果关系连续性要在英国和欧洲的全科医疗中得以维持，就需要采取教育和培训措施，向接待员推广这些价值观。
