title: Do English patients want continuity of care, and do they receive it?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Interpersonal continuity of care is valued by patients, but there is concern that it has declined in recent years.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine how often patients express preference for seeing a particular GP and the extent to which that preference is met.
  
  
  METHODS
  Analysis of data from the 2009/2010 English GP Patient Survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  A stratified random sample of adult patients registered with 8362 general practices in England (response rate 39%, yielding 2,169,718 responses).
  
  
  METHODS
  Weighted estimates were calculated of preference for and success in seeing a particular GP. Multilevel logistic regression was used to identify characteristics associated with these two outcomes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Excluding practices with one GP, 62% of patients expressed a preference for seeing a particular GP. Of these patients, 72% were successful in seeing their preferred GP most of the time. Certain patient groups were associated with more preference for and success in seeing a particular GP. These were older patients (preference odds ratio [OR] = 1.7, success OR = 1.8), those with chronic medical conditions (preference OR = 1.9, success OR = 1.3), those with chronic psychological conditions (preference OR = 1.6, success OR = 1.3), and those recently requesting only non-urgent versus urgent appointments (preference OR = 1.4, success OR = 1.6). Patient groups that had more frequent preference but less success in seeing a preferred GP were females (preference OR = 1.5, success OR = 0.9), patients in larger practices (preference OR = 1.3, success OR = 0.5), and those belonging to non-white ethnic groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The majority of patients value interpersonal continuity, yet a large minority of patients and specific patient groups are not regularly able to see the GP they prefer.
authors.affiliation: Cambridge Centre for Health Services Research, University of Cambridge, Institute of Public Health, Cambridge. aa577@medschl.cam.ac.uk
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aboulghate
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Abel
authors.forename: Marc N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Elliott
authors.forename: Richard A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Parker
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.forename: Georgios
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lyratzopoulos
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Roland
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care / Q000592:standards*; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D020380:Needs Assessment; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D055815:Young Adult