Comprehensive Care, Community, and Culture Program

PI: David Meltzer, MD, PhD
Co-PI: Greg Ruhnke, MD, MS, MPH

Not long ago, most patients who went to the hospital were seen by their family physician. Many patients found comfort in seeing their regular doctor who already knew their medical history and their family.

Today, many patients have a primary care doctor who sees them in the outpatient clinic. However, if they have to stay in the hospital, they get care from a doctor they do not know.

Many people believe the relationship between patients and their doctors is the key to better health. This led us to ask if care would be better if patients were seen by the same doctor in the clinic and the hospital. For the past few years we have been studying if patients are happier with their care and have better health and lower health care costs if they see the same doctor in the clinic and the hospital compared to having different doctors in the clinic and the hospital. We also recently wondered if patients might benefit from having help accessing community and cultural programs.

To answer these questions, we will randomly divide patients into three groups. The first group of patients can stay with their current doctor or get information about other primary care options. The second group will have a doctor who sees them both in the clinic and the hospital. The third group will have the same doctor in the clinic and the hospital and have help accessing community and cultural programs. We will review patients’ medical records and call them every 3 months to learn about their health and the quality of care they receive.

For more information on the CCP/C4P studies, please visit ccpprogram.uchicago.edu