Background and Goal: Longitudinal continuity of care is the repeated contact between an individual and the same general practitioner (GP). This type of continuity of care is widely regarded as a cornerstone of primary care. Higher levels of longitudinal continuity of care are associated with better health outcomes, greater patient satisfaction, and more cost-effective use of health care resources. This study aimed to describe more recent variations between practices in the slopes of longitudinal continuity of care levels across the COVID-19 pandemic. The study also set out to determine if practice-related factors predicted these variations.
Study Approach: Researchers used the General Practice Patient Survey for the period of 2018- 2022 to analyze data from English general practices with longitudinal continuity of care information. The study included only active practices with at least 750 registered patients. The outcome was the percentage of each practice’s patients who had both a preferred GP and the ability to see that GP repeatedly. The study examined eleven population and practice related factors as potential independent predictors of longitudinal continuity of care variation. Factors included baseline longitudinal continuity of care (in 2018), English National Health Service (NHS) region (London, South East, South West, East of England, Midlands, North East and Yorkshire, or North West), deprivation score, rurality (urban or rural), percentage of White patients and numbers of general practitioners and nurses per 10,000 patients.
Main Results:
Why It Matters: The findings suggest that factors linked to greater appointment availability predicted slower declines in longitudinal continuity of care levels in English general practices. To prevent the further loss of continuity, the researchers urge immediate nationwide action to improve appointment availability.
Ongoing Decline in Continuity with GPs in English General Practices: A Longitudinal Study Across the COVID-19 Pandemic
Louis Steven Levene, FRCGP, PhD, et al
Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester,
England
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The Annals of Family Medicine
22-Jul-2024