title: Characteristics of patients with a regular source of care.
abstract: This study was designed to describe patient characteristics associated with having a regular source of care among all patients who received care from large urban clinics in Manitoba over a three-year period (N = 298,222). Using administrative data, patients were classified as having a regular source of care if they made 75% or more of their total ambulatory visits to the same clinic. Overall, 44.2% of patients had a regular source of care. A logistic regression showed that children and adults aged 45 and older were more likely to have a regular source of care than patients aged 18-44. Moreover, patients with a regular source of care tended to live in more affluent neighbourhoods and were healthier than individuals with no regular source of care. Systemic changes might be needed to enhance continuity of care (e.g., mechanisms to enhance access) among vulnerable segments of the population like the poor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health Sciences, Manitoba Centre for Health Policy and Evaluation, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0W3. vmenec@cpe.umanitoba.ca
authors.forename: V H
authors.initials: VH
authors.lastname: Menec
authors.forename: N P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Roos
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Black
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bogdanovic
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008350:Manitoba / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009313:National Health Programs; D010045:Outpatients / Q000145:classification*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D019037:Urban Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*