Arch Intern Med -- Abstract: Encounter Frequency and Serum Glucose Level, Blood Pressure, and Cholesterol Level Control in Patients With Diabetes Mellitus, September 26, 2011, Morrison et al. 171 (17): 1542

Frequent Encounters with Doctors Leads to Better Care for Diabetes Patients, AHRQ-Funded Study Shows                             
More frequent physician-patient encounters may lead to quicker control of type 2 diabetes measurements and improved outcomes, a study funded in part by AHRQ shows. Published in the September 26 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, the study compared the electronic medical records (EMRs) of 26,496 patients who had encounters with their primary care physicians over 1 to 2 weeks versus encounters over 3 to 6 months.  Doctor-patient encounters included face-to-face interactions, as well as remote communication, such as telephone calls. More physician contact improved diabetes management across the board. The authors note, however, that increased patient encounters could increase demand on health care resources. Select for the abstract:
Arch Intern Med -- Abstract: Encounter Frequency and Serum Glucose Level, Blood Pressure, and Cholesterol Level Control in Patients With Diabetes Mellitus, September 26, 2011, Morrison et al. 171 (17): 1542