Patient Characteristics Overall and by Physician Continuity
| Characteristic | Overall (N = 1,200,000) | Physician Continuitya | P Value | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low (n = 77,870) | Moderate (n = 547,680) | High (n = 574,450) | |||
| Gender, No. (%) | |||||
| Female | 669,046 (55.8) | 46,757 (60.0) | 315,585 (57.6) | 306,704 (53.4) | <.001 |
| Male | 530,954 (44.2) | 31,113 (40.0) | 232,095 (42.4) | 267,746 (46.6) | <.001 |
| Age, median (IQR), y | 50 (30-65) | 35 (25-50) | 45 (25-60) | 55 (35-70) | <.001 |
| Complexity level,b No. (%) | <.001 | ||||
| 1-2 | 732,890 (61.1) | 54,310 (69.7) | 353,939 (64.6) | 324,641 (56.5) | |
| 2-3 | 200,003 (16.7) | 11,935 (15.3) | 89,671 (16.4) | 98,397 (17.1) | |
| 5-9 | 267,107 (22.3) | 11,625 (14.9) | 104,070 (19.0) | 151,412 (26.4) | |
| Geographic zone, No. (%) | <.001 | ||||
| 1 (South) | 94,052 (7.8) | 3,655 (4.7) | 35,198 (6.4) | 55,199 (9.6) | |
| 2 (Calgary and area) | 468,776 (39.1) | 33,598 (43.1) | 227,555 (41.5) | 207,623 (36.1) | |
| 3 (Central) | 128,221 (10.7) | 12,788 (16.4) | 60,457 (11.0) | 54,976 (9.6) | |
| 4 (Edmonton) | 410,881 (34.2) | 22,812 (29.3) | 184,383 (33.7) | 203,686 (35.5) | |
| 5 (North) | 98,070 (8.2) | 5,017 (6.4) | 40,087 (7.3) | 52,966 (9.2) | |
| Location, No. (%) | |||||
| Metro | 841,715 (70.1) | 53,855 (69.2) | 394,632 (72.1) | 393,228 (68.5) | |
| Rural | 211,445 (17.6) | 13,261 (17.0) | 90,496 (16.5) | 107,688 (18.7) | |
| Urban | 146,840 (12.2) | 10,754 (13.8) | 62,552 (11.4) | 73,534 (12.8) | |
| Physician continuity,a No. (%) | |||||
| Low | 77,870 (6.5) | 77,870 (100.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | <.001 |
| Moderate | 547,680 (45.6) | 0 (0.0) | 547,680 (100.0) | 0 (0.0) | <.001 |
| High | 574,450 (47.9) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 574,450 (100.0) | <.001 |
| GCR, mean (SD), % | 42 (41) | 53 (31) | 41 (40) | 41 (45) | <.001 |
| Clinic continuity,c No. (%) | |||||
| None | 350,180 (29.2) | 5,944 (7.6) | 194,120 (35.4) | 150,116 (26.1) | <.001 |
| NA | 247,403 (20.6) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 247,403 (43.1) | <.001 |
| Low | 167,033 (13.9) | 28,322 (36.4) | 112,401 (20.5) | 26,310 (4.6) | <.001 |
| High | 190,633 (15.9) | 31,577 (40.6) | 123,284 (22.5) | 35,772 (6.2) | |
| Complete | 244,751 (20.4) | 12,027 (15.4) | 117,875 (21.5) | 114,849 (20.0) | |
| Total visits/patient in study period, mean (SD) | 14.0 (12.7) | 13.4 (11.5) | 13.7 (12.1) | 14.4 (13.3) | <.001 |
| Physician patient volume per day,d mean (SD) | 29.4 (13.8) | 27.8 (12.5) | 28.5 (13.5) | 30.5 (14.3) | <.001 |
| ED visits during study period | |||||
| Number/patient, mean (SD) | 2.3 (4.5) | 2.8 (5.2) | 2.4 (4.6) | 2.1 (4.4) | <.001 |
| Patients with none, No. (%) | 462,781 (38.6) | 25,423 (32.6) | 200,998 (36.7) | 236,360 (41.1) | <.001 |
| Number/patient among those with ≥1, mean (SD) | 3.7 (5.3) | 4.2 (5.9) | 3.7 (5.3) | 3.6 (5.3) | <.001 |
| Hospitalizations during study period | |||||
| Number/patient, mean (SD) | 0.3 (0.8) | 0.3 (0.8) | 0.3 (0.8) | 0.3 (0.8) | .02 |
| Patients with none, No. (%) | 974,793 (81.2) | 62,689 (80.5) | 443,307 (80.9) | 468,797 (81.6) | <.001 |
ED = emergency department; CRG = clinical risk grouper; GCR = group care rate; IQR = interquartile range; KPC = known provider of care; NA = not applicable; UPC = usual provider of care.
↵a Based on KPC index. Low = 0%-40% of visits were to the attached family physician; moderate = 41%-80% of visits; high = 81%-100% of visits.
↵b Based on CGR.
↵c Based on GCR. None = 0% (always went elsewhere if not seeing their FP); NA = always saw their own FP (KPC index of 100% with no opportunity for group care); low = 1%-50%; high = 51%-99%; complete = 100% (always saw one of their FP’s partners if not their own FP).
↵d For the physician associated with the patient.