title: Does having regular care by a family physician improve preventive care?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess whether regular care from a family physician is associated with receiving preventive services.
  
  
  METHODS
  Secondary analysis of the 1994 National Population Health Survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional sample of the Canadian population.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 15,731 non-institutionalized adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  Reported visits to general practitioners and specialists in the previous year and reports of having had blood pressure measurements, mammography, and Pap smears.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A graded relationship was observed between level of regular care by a family physician in the previous year (none, some, regular) and receiving preventive services. Those without regular doctors and those reporting only some care by a family physician were less likely to have ever had their blood pressure checked than adults receiving ongoing care from a regular family physician. Women reporting some or no care were less likely to have had mammography within 2 years or to have ever had Pap smears.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adults who receive regular care from a family physician are more likely to receive recommended preventive services.
authors.affiliation: Mount Sinai Family Medicine Centre, Toronto, Ont. wincisaac@mtsinai.on.ca
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: McIsaac
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fuller-Thomson
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Talbot
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002170:Canada; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis; D008297:Male; D008327:Mammography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D065006:Papanicolaou Test; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011315:Preventive Medicine; D014626:Vaginal Smears / Q000706:statistics & numerical data