Experiences of food access in hospital. A new questionnaire measure.

Background & Aims: People in hospital experience problems gaining access to food. We aimed to develop an experience-based measure of access to food.

Methods: The 27-item questionnaire has five domains: feeling hungry, physical barriers, organisational barriers, food choice and food quality.

Hospital inpatients' experiences of access to food: a qualitative interview and observational study.

Background: Hospital surveys indicate that overall patients are satisfied with hospital food. However undernutrition is common and associated with a number of negative clinical outcomes. There is little information regarding food access from the patients' perspective.

Continuity of care and intermediate outcomes of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Background: The relevance of continuity of care in chronic illness is uncertain.

Objective: We evaluated whether experienced continuity of care for type 2 diabetes is associated with HbA1c, blood pressure or body weight.

Methods: Cohort study in 19 family practices in London, UK.

Measuring continuity of care in diabetes mellitus: an experience-based measure.

Purpose: Continuity is an important attribute of health care, but appropriate measures are not currently available. We developed an experience-based measure of continuity of care in type 2 diabetes.

Methods: A 19-item measure of experienced continuity of care for diabetes mellitus (ECC-DM) was developed from qualitative patient interview data with 4 continuity subdomains: longitudinal, flexible, relational, and team and cross-boundary continuity.

What is 'continuity of care'?

Continuity of care is concerned with the quality of care over time. There are two important perspectives on this. Traditionally, continuity of care is idealized in the patient's experience of a 'continuous caring relationship' with an identified health care professional.

Sharing specialist skills for diabetes in an inner city: a comparison of two primary care organisations over 4 years.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of organizational change and sharing of specialist skills and information technology for diabetes in two primary care groups (PCGs) over 4 years.

Methods: In PCG-A, an intervention comprised dedicated specialist sessions in primary care, clinical guidelines, educational meetings for professionals and a shared diabetes electronic patient record (EPR). Comparison was made with the neighbouring PCG-B as control.

Patients' perceptions and experiences of 'continuity of care' in diabetes.

Background: 'Continuity of care' is an important aspect of quality. However, definitions are broad and existing models of continuity are not well grounded in empirical data.

Objective: To identify patients' experiences and values with respect to continuity in diabetes care.