ArticleBJGP open2020
Continuity of care as a predictor of ongoing frequent attendance in primary care: a retrospective cohort study.
Article in BJGP open, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed.
- Frequent attenders in primary health care in Finland: use of primary care services and patient characteristics.Scandinavian journal of primary health care · 2026Article
- Continuity of care in UK primary care: a scoping review of measures, challenges, and future interventions.Primary health care research & development · 2026Article
- Characteristics of patients with frequent contact with general practice: a retrospective study.BJGP open · 2025Article
- Internet-enhanced continuity of care reduces postoperative complications and improves outcomes in pediatric strabismus surgery.American journal of translational research · 2024Article
- Predicting Continuity of Asthma Care Using a Machine Learning Model: Retrospective Cohort Study.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundFrequent attenders (FAs) in primary care receive considerable resources with uncertain benefit. Only some FAs attend persistently. Modestly successful models have been built to predict persistent attendance. Nevertheless, an association between relational continuity of care and persistent frequent attendance remains unclear, and could be important considering both the UK government and Royal College of General Practitioner's (RCGP) aim of improving continuity.
aimTo identify predictive measures (including continuity) for persistent frequent attendance that may be modified in future interventions. DESIGN &
settingThis is a retrospective cohort study sampling 35 926 adult patients registered in seven Bristol practices.
methodThe top 3% (1227) of patients by frequency of GP consultations over 6 months were classed as FAs. Individual relational continuity was measured over the same period using the Usual Provider Continuity (UPC) index. Attendance change was calculated for the following 6 months. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to determine variables that predicted attendance change.
resultsFAs were on average 8.41 years older (difference 95% confidence interval [CI] = 7.33 to 9.50,
conclusionContinuity does not predict change in frequent attendance. In addition to improving continuity, recent government policy is focused on increasing primary care access. If both aims are achieved it will be interesting to observe any effect on frequent attendance.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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