Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41876100›Full record

ArticleAnnals of family medicine2026

Continuity of Primary Care in Community Health Centers.

Rose Goueth, Claudia Der-Martirosian, Nicole Cook, Matthew W H Jones, Stephen J Zyzanski, Suparna M Navale, Rae Crist, Anna R Templeton, Yui Nishiike, Kurt C Stange

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Annals of family medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
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

10 authors.

Rose GouethOCHIN, Inc, Portland, Oregon.
Claudia Der-MartirosianOCHIN, Inc, Portland, Oregon.
Nicole CookOCHIN, Inc, Portland, Oregon.
Matthew W H JonesOCHIN, Inc, Portland, Oregon.
Stephen J ZyzanskiCenter for Community Health Integration, Departments of Family Medicine & Community Health, Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio.
Suparna M NavaleOCHIN, Inc, Portland, Oregon.
Rae CristOCHIN, Inc, Portland, Oregon.
Anna R TempletonOCHIN, Inc, Portland, Oregon.
Yui NishiikeLifeLong Medical Care, Berkeley, California.
Kurt C StangeCenter for Community Health Integration, Departments of Family Medicine & Community Health, Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, and Sociology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio kcs@case.edu.

Funding

the National Institute on Aging R01AG074946the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities R01MD016389
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeWe conducted a cross-sectional cohort study to assess how continuity of primary care within community-based health centers (CHCs) might have changed during the years surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and how continuity varied by patient and visit characteristics.

methodsIn a national sample of CHCs providing primary care, we assessed the usual provider of care (UPC) index-the fraction of patient visits to the patient's most frequently seen clinician within the CHC-for patients with at least 2 primary care encounters within a calendar year during 2019-2023. We used age-stratified multilevel logit analyses to assess patient, clinic, and visit characteristics associated with the perfect UPC index of 1 in 2023.

resultsAmong an annual average of 353,608 patients seen in an average of 186 CHCs, the median UPC index was 1 in each year, with the mean index varying from a low of 0.822 in 2020 to a high of 0.831 in 2021. In the 2023 sample, logit analyses adjusted for clustering of patients within clinics found that among adults, the likelihood of achieving a UPC index of 1 was higher for patients who were middle-aged or older and had an income greater than 138% of the federal poverty level or an unknown income, whereas it was lower for patients who were of Hispanic ethnicity, were of Black/African American race, had multimorbidity, had a telehealth visit, and received care at large clinics. Among children, the likelihood of achieving a UPC of 1 was lower for those who were of Hispanic ethnicity, had a telehealth visit, and received care at large clinics.

conclusionsIn a large national sample of patients seen at CHCs, continuity of primary care within CHCs remained high before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic, and was associated with practice and patient characteristics that provide targets for systemic intervention. Although health care systems explore different approaches to balance continuity with easy access, CHCs continue to value and deliver high-continuity care.

Indexed as

Community Health CentersContinuity of Patient CareCOVID-19Primary Health CareAccess to Primary CareAdolescentAdultAgedChildChild, PreschoolCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansInfantMaleMiddle Agedcommunity health carecommunity health centercontinuity of careCOVID-19 pandemicdelivery of health carehealth care disparitieshealth care serviceshealth services researchoffice visitsprimary caretelemedicinevulnerable populations

Identifiers

PMID41876100
PMCPMC13008817

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.