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ObjectiveTo discover how community-based family physicians notify patients of test results and whether there are differences based on sex, length of time in practice, reimbursement status, employment status, or percentage of practice in managed care.MethodsWe mailed a survey to 500 randomly selected members of the South Carolina chapter of the American Academy of Family Physicians. All analyses were preformed using SASTM version 8.2. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the collected data.ResultsA total of 367 physicians responded (73% response rate). The main outcome variable was the time each physician spent notifying patients of test results: a mean of 20.86 18.3 minutes per day (range 0-120 minutes/day). Women physicians and those with more than 75% managed care were significantly more likely to spend more than the median time notifying patients of test results.ConclusionPhysicians vary in the amount of time they spend notifying patients of their test results, with female physicians and those with more than 75% of their practice in managed care spending more time than do male physicians and physicians with less managed care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine whether a relationship exists between religious attendance and continuity of care. METHODS: We investigated this relationship in a large national database--the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III--which contains information on religious attendance, continuity of care, and potential confounders that might mediate the relationship such as health status and socioeconomic status. RESULTS: A total of 18,162 participants 17 years of age or older were included in the analysis. People who attended religious services were more likely to have continuity with a provider than people who did not attend such services (65% vs. 35%, p < .001). This association persisted after controlling for demographic, socioeconomic, and health status variables using regression analysis. CONCLUSION: This study documents a significant association between attendance at religious services and continuity with a usual provider. Continuity with a regular medical provider may influence the association of religious attendance and health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]