Patient Preference and Adherence (Jul 2024)

The Relationship Between Continuity of Care and Enhancement of Clinical Outcomes Among Patients with Chronic Conditions

  • Alsaad SM,
  • Alajlan F,
  • Alserhani R,
  • Alhussaini N,
  • Alali N,
  • Alatawi SA

Journal volume & issue
Vol. Volume 18
pp. 1509 – 1515

Abstract

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Saad Mohammad Alsaad,1,2,* Fahad Alajlan,2,* Reema Alserhani,3 Nouf Alhussaini,3 Najoud Alali,3 Saud Abdullah Alatawi3 1Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 2Department of Family and Community Medicine, King Saud University Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 3College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Fahad Alajlan, Department of Family and Community Medicine, King Saud University Medical City, Saudi Arabia, Email [email protected]: Continuity of care is one of the main principles of family medicine, described as a relationship with a single provider that extends beyond a single illness episode. This retrospective study, conducted at King Saud University Family Medicine Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, aimed to investigate the impact of having a regular primary care provider on clinical outcomes and preventive service delivery for patients with diabetes and/or hypertension.Methods: The study, spanning 2017 to 2019, included 400 patients diagnosed with diabetes and/or hypertension for at least six months before the 6-month pre-attachment period to regular family medicine physicians in 2018. Data before and after attachment for at least six months were compared using electronic health records.Results: The mean age of the patients was 60.9, with a predominant female representation (66.8%) and 90.7% Saudis. Results indicated a significant improvement in glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels (p = 0.005) and systolic blood pressure (p = 0.014) post-attachment. Preventive service delivery saw notable enhancements, with increased colon cancer screening (p = 0.03), breast cancer screening (p < 0.001), and retinal screening (p < 0.001) post-attachment.Conclusion: This study’s findings underscore the importance of continuity of care in chronic disease management and provide valuable and promising insights into the Saudi healthcare context, aligning with the Saudi Ministry of Health’s vision for universal access to regular primary care providers.Keywords: continuity of patient care, primary health care, diabetes mellitus, essential hypertension, healthcare quality

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