Importance of continuity of care from a patient perspective–a cross-sectional study in Swedish health care

Abstract

Objective: The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the patients’ view on continuity of care (CoC), including preference for a certain general practitioner (GP) and importance and access to a regular general practitioner (RGP). Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Primary care center in Halland County, in the western part of Sweden. Subjects: Patients ≥18 years old and having at least one appointment at the primary care center during October–December 2022. Main outcome measures: Preference for a certain GP and importance of and accessibility for an RGP. Results: The study included 404 patients. Importance of having an RGP was considered by 86% of the patients. Preference for a certain GP was thought by 73% of the patients, and when asked as a bivariate question, 69% considered having an RGP. Both the importance of an RGP and preference for a certain GP were more often considered by patients ≥65 years (p