Patient Characteristics and Degrees of Discontinuity of care in General practice.

Abstract

Background: Continuity of care (COC) is crucial for effective healthcare, but patients often experience discontinuity of care. Understanding these patterns and associated patient characteristics can guide interventions to improve COC.

Aim: This study investigates longitudinal provider Discontinuity of Care (DCOC) and identifies disparities in patient characteristics across DCOC levels in Danish general practice.

Design and setting: We utilized cohort data from all Danish general practice patients aged 12 and older, alive from 2007 to 2018.

Methods: Logistic regression was employed to estimate DCOC at levels: 0 vs 1-2, 0 vs 3-4, 0 vs 5-6, 0 vs 7-8, and 0 vs 9+ shifts. Five regression models were used to analyze the odds of DCOC levels relative to demographic, regional, municipal, socioeconomic, and morbidity factors.

Results: The majority of males were likely to have lower DCOC levels, while subgroups of males had odds for the highest DCOC levels. Young adults had a higher likelihood of moderate to high DCOC compared to those aged 12-24, while older adults showed a lower probability. Higher DCOC was linked to residents of the Region of Zealand, the Capital Region, and municipality status. Unemployed individuals, other ethnicities, single status, and those in lower income quartiles had increased probability of DCOC. Patients with lower or moderate to high morbidity also faced higher likelihood of DCOC than patients with no chronic diseases.

Conclusion: This study revealed disparities in DCOC among patients with lower socioeconomic status, higher morbidity, and varying odds based on education, municipality type, age, and gender.