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Enabling patient-physician continuity in Swedish primary care : the importance of a named GP

Ellegård, Lina Maria Maria LU ; Anell, Anders LU and Kjellsson, Gustav LU (2024) In BJGP open
Abstract

BACKGROUND: Continuity of care is important for patients with chronic conditions. Assigning patients to a named GP may increase continuity.

AIM: To examine if patients who were registered with a named GP at the onset of their first chronic disease had higher continuity at subsequent visits than patients who were only registered at a practice.

DESIGN & SETTING: Registry-based observational study in Region Skåne, Sweden. The study population included 66,063 patients registered at the same practice at least 1 year before the first chronic condition onset in 2009-2015.

METHOD: We compared patients registered with a named GP with patients only registered at a practice over a four-year follow-up period. The primary... (More)

BACKGROUND: Continuity of care is important for patients with chronic conditions. Assigning patients to a named GP may increase continuity.

AIM: To examine if patients who were registered with a named GP at the onset of their first chronic disease had higher continuity at subsequent visits than patients who were only registered at a practice.

DESIGN & SETTING: Registry-based observational study in Region Skåne, Sweden. The study population included 66,063 patients registered at the same practice at least 1 year before the first chronic condition onset in 2009-2015.

METHOD: We compared patients registered with a named GP with patients only registered at a practice over a four-year follow-up period. The primary outcome was the Usual Provider of Care (UPC) index, for all visits and for visits related to the chronic disease. Secondary outcomes were the number of GP, nurse and out-of-hours visits, ED visits, hospital admissions, and mortality. We used linear regression models, adjusted for patient characteristics (using entropy balancing weights) and for practice-level fixed effects.

RESULTS: Patients with a named GP at onset had 3-4 percentage points higher UPC, but the difference decreased and was not statistically significant after adjusting for patient and practice characteristics. Patients with a named GP made more visits, though not for the chronic condition. There were no statistically significant differences for the other outcomes.

CONCLUSION: Registration with a GP at onset does not imply higher continuity at visits and is not linked to other relevant outcomes for patients diagnosed with their first chronic condition.

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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
epub
subject
in
BJGP open
publisher
Royal College of General Practitioners
external identifiers
  • pmid:38806212
ISSN
2398-3795
DOI
10.3399/BJGPO.2024.0118
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Copyright © 2024, The Authors.
id
7906c17f-8665-467d-a422-54870b1c7922
date added to LUP
2024-05-29 11:06:09
date last changed
2024-06-03 11:11:16
@article{7906c17f-8665-467d-a422-54870b1c7922,
  abstract     = {{<p>BACKGROUND: Continuity of care is important for patients with chronic conditions. Assigning patients to a named GP may increase continuity.</p><p>AIM: To examine if patients who were registered with a named GP at the onset of their first chronic disease had higher continuity at subsequent visits than patients who were only registered at a practice.</p><p>DESIGN &amp; SETTING: Registry-based observational study in Region Skåne, Sweden. The study population included 66,063 patients registered at the same practice at least 1 year before the first chronic condition onset in 2009-2015.</p><p>METHOD: We compared patients registered with a named GP with patients only registered at a practice over a four-year follow-up period. The primary outcome was the Usual Provider of Care (UPC) index, for all visits and for visits related to the chronic disease. Secondary outcomes were the number of GP, nurse and out-of-hours visits, ED visits, hospital admissions, and mortality. We used linear regression models, adjusted for patient characteristics (using entropy balancing weights) and for practice-level fixed effects.</p><p>RESULTS: Patients with a named GP at onset had 3-4 percentage points higher UPC, but the difference decreased and was not statistically significant after adjusting for patient and practice characteristics. Patients with a named GP made more visits, though not for the chronic condition. There were no statistically significant differences for the other outcomes.</p><p>CONCLUSION: Registration with a GP at onset does not imply higher continuity at visits and is not linked to other relevant outcomes for patients diagnosed with their first chronic condition.</p>}},
  author       = {{Ellegård, Lina Maria Maria and Anell, Anders and Kjellsson, Gustav}},
  issn         = {{2398-3795}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{05}},
  publisher    = {{Royal College of General Practitioners}},
  series       = {{BJGP open}},
  title        = {{Enabling patient-physician continuity in Swedish primary care : the importance of a named GP}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3399/BJGPO.2024.0118}},
  doi          = {{10.3399/BJGPO.2024.0118}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}