Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41269884›Full record

ArticleThe European journal of general practice2025

Improving continuity of care in Finnish primary health care: Insights from a nationwide qualitative study of primary care physicians.

Ulla Mikkonen, Kadri Suija, Tuomas Koskela, Pekka Mäntyselkä, Nina Tusa

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The European journal of general practice, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Ulla MikkonenInstitute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.ORCID 0000-0003-1333-6948
Kadri SuijaInstitute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.ORCID 0000-0003-3364-7372
Tuomas KoskelaDepartment of General Practice, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland.ORCID 0000-0002-1518-4944
Pekka MäntyselkäInstitute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.ORCID 0000-0002-5236-1815
Nina TusaInstitute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.ORCID 0000-0002-5169-508X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundContinuity of care (COC) is a core value in general practice. It has been deteriorating in Finnish primary health care, but there are now attempts to improve it.

objectivesThis study focused on gathering insights of primary care physicians (PCPs) on how COC can be improved within Finnish primary health care.

methodsWe conducted a nationwide survey targeting all PCPs working in primary health care. A web-based questionnaire was sent to PCPs in Finland from May to October of 2023. The questionnaire included the question 'How would you improve continuity of care in your workplace?' Data were analysed using a descriptive approach that involved iterative and inductive thematic analysis.

resultsWe received a total of 291 responses from PCPs across Finland (7% response rate). We identified themes related to organisation (e.g. arrangement of practical work including the size of a health centre), practice-level (e.g. autonomy, including the opportunity to perform COC in daily work), and themes related to digital solutions (e.g. data of COC measured and available). PCPs had considerable insight into the development of COC in day-to-day operations. CONCLUSION(S): Enhancing COC for a primary care patient population requires a systemic perspective and structured, goal-oriented development efforts. However, small and discrete steps can also contribute to improving COC for individual patients. Our findings highlight the link between COC enhancement and the development of the health care system as a whole.

Indexed as

Continuity of Patient CarePhysicians, Primary CarePrimary Health CareQuality ImprovementAdultAttitude of Health PersonnelFemaleFinlandHumansMaleMiddle AgedQualitative ResearchSurveys and QuestionnairesContinuity of caregeneral practitionerpractice managementprimary carequalitative research

Identifiers

PMID41269884
PMCPMC12642884

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.