Consistent use of the same primary care provider (provider continuity) | Health Quality Alberta Focus

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Consistent use of the same primary care provider (provider continuity)

The proportion of all visits to primary care providers that are to the same care provider. (see data definition)

*Data courtesy of Alberta Health Services and Alberta Health Shared Services. Please note: The Borealis Primary Care Network was formed by the merging of the Peace Region and Saddle Hills PCNs on April 1, 2023. As a result, results for the Borealis PCN are only available beginning 2022-23.

What do you see?

  • Are there differences between zones or PCNs that are mainly urban (e.g., Calgary, Edmonton) compared to those that are mainly rural (e.g., North, Central, South)? What factors could account for this?
  • Is the percentage of patients who see the same family doctor for most of their visits increasing over time?

Why is it meaningful?

  • Is there a relationship between this data and another healthcare area?
  • Do you see successes worth highlighting or opportunities for improvement?

Understanding provider continuity

Continuity of care is a pillar of the Patient’s Medical Home. Primary care provider continuity refers to how consistently a patient visits the same care provider. Provider continuity can improve health outcomes for patients. Patients who see one provider for most of their visits tend to have better outcomes for chronic conditions that are managed mainly in primary care. They also tend to have fewer visits to the emergency department, fewer hospitalizations, decreased length of stay in hospital, and lower mortality.

  • ‘High continuity’: Continuity is ‘high’ when a patient sees the same provider for 80 per cent or more of their primary care visits. Achieving 100 per cent continuity is difficult for a few reasons. Patients or providers may move. Patients may need to seek treatment from another care provider for certain conditions or when their regular provider is not available.
  • ‘Low continuity’: Continuity is ‘low’ when less than 50 per cent of a patient’s primary care visits are to one provider. These patients typically visit many care providers, often in different locations.

Considerations when viewing the results

  • A goal of our primary care system is to increase the consistency of patient visits to the same care provider.
  • Some patients are cared for by a team of care providers who work out of one clinic and will see whichever provider is available at the time. These patients may have ‘low continuity’ to one provider, but will have ‘high continuity’ to the clinic. These patients can experience the same benefits (trust, satisfaction, improved outcomes) as patients with ‘high continuity’ to one care provider.