A retrospective cohort study using longitudinal data from 100,450 patients across 48 general practices in and around Amsterdam found that patients registered with their practice for longer than 5 years had 9% to 21% lower odds of urgent hospital admission and 17%-28% lower hospital costs compared to those registered for 0 to 5 years. Consistently seeing the same general practitioner was associated with 6% to 7% lower hospital costs, but not with fewer urgent admissions. Researchers measured continuity associations with urgent hospital admissions and hospital costs in two ways: duration of the general practitioner-patient relationship and how concentrated a patient’s visits were with one physician.
Why It Matters: Keeping patients connected to the same practice and physician over time may help reduce avoidable hospital use.
Association of General Practice Continuity With Hospital Admissions and Costs: A Retrospective Study
Corresponding Author: Otto R. Maarsingh, MD, PhD, et al
Department of General Practice, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Aging and Later Life, Amsterdam Public Health, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Permanent and shareable link (accessible beginning 5pm ET, Monday, July 27, 2026)
The Annals of Family Medicine
Patients with Long-Term Relationships with Family Physicians May Have Fewer Urgent Hospital Admissions and Lower Hospital Costs
27-Jul-2026