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Previous Volume 360:1276-1278 March 26, 2009 Number 13 Next

	Since this article has no abstract, we have provided an extract of the first 100 words of the full text and any section headings.

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Mary is 68 years old, has four chronic conditions, takes seven medications, and averages 12 visits per year to her six physicians. In between visits, she spends a lot of time on the telephone with them or their staff — making appointments, requesting prescription renewals and referrals, seeking test results, and asking questions that she forgot to bring up in person. Physicians' offices are becoming overwhelmed by the tasks and time required to address the needs of patients like Mary. As the baby boomers age and develop chronic diseases, the gap between patients' desire for information and physicians' ability to . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Source Information

Dr. Tang is vice president and chief medical information officer at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, Palo Alto, CA. Dr. Lee is the network president for Partners HealthCare System, Boston, and an associate editor of the Journal.

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