Continuity of care with family medicine physicians : Importance de la continuité des soins avec le médecin de famille

In Alberta, the UPC index was 60% in both urban and rural areas,iii and in Saskatchewan the index was 57% in urban areas and 55% in rural areas.iv As demonstrated in Figure 3, within Alberta there was also little variation by health zone, with continuity measures ranging from a low of 58% and 59% in the Central and Calgary zones, respectively, to a high of 65% in the South zone. [...] Impact of Relational Continuity of Care One of the main premises of relational continuity of care is that seeing the same provider helps to build a relationship between the patient and provider, increasing patient trust and open communication between parties.6, 16 This also leads to better illness identification and management,7, 22 fewer hospitalizations for ACSCs22–24 and fewer unscheduled emerg [...] Compared with those with a high UPC index score (0.8+), the odds of being hospitalized were • 11% higher for those with a moderate UPC index score (0.4 to <0.8) in Alberta and 24% higher for those with a moderate UPC index score (0.4 to <0.8) in Saskatchewan; and • 29% higher for those with a low UPC index score (<0.4) in Alberta and 73% higher for those with a low UPC index score (<0.4) in Saskat [...] Controlling for demographics and health status, however, continuity of care was a predictor of hospitalization for ACSCs, with the odds of hospitalization decreasing as continuity of care increased. [...] Compared with those with a high UPC index score, the odds of being hospitalized were • 11% higher for those with a moderate UPC index score in Alberta and 24% higher for those with a moderate UPC index score in Saskatchewan; and • 29% higher for those with a low UPC index score in Alberta and 73% higher for those with a low UPC index score in Saskatchewan.