Continuity care diagnostic fatigue: an unintended consequence of long-term continuity care

The authors propose a new concept, continuity care diagnostic fatigue (CCDF), to describe the longitudinal decrease in the effectiveness of continuity care providers to identify and diagnose subtle disease manifestations in their continuity care patients. The paper attempts to characterize CCDF, shedding light on risks and protective factors and proposing viable solutions. We recommend research to fully characterize CCDF, test related hypotheses, and precisely discern its clinical impact. In the interim, the authors implore continuity care providers to acknowledge the concept in all its ramifications and make accommodation for its potential impact in their practice.