ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of lack of continuity in a teaching clinic and to ascertain the role of supervisory attending in treatment decisions in a teaching psychiatric clinic. METHODS: A retrospective evaluation of paired consecutive visits of patients attending an education clinic was performed. RESULTS: Medication changes occurred in 56.3% of all visit pairs. Visit pairs in which the resident was unchanged had significantly more medication changes than visit pairs in which the attending was unchanged. When the resident stays the same, the number of medication changes is high and does not change significantly even if the attending is the same or different. Similarly, when the resident is different, the number of medication changes is low and does not change significantly if the attending is the same or different. CONCLUSION: Residents, not the attending physicians, are more instrumental in medication changes in patients attending an education clinic.
