Optimising personal continuity: a survey of GPs’ and older patients’ views

Background: Personal continuity — having a GP who knows their patients and keeps track of them — is an important dimension of continuity of care and is associated with lower mortality rates, higher quality of life, and reduced healthcare costs. In recent decades it has become more challenging for GPs to provide personal continuity owing to changes in society and health care. Aim: To investigate GPs’ and older patients’ views on personal continuity and how personal continuity can be improved. Design & setting: Cross sectional survey study in The Netherlands. Method: A digital and postal survey was sent to 499 GPs and 1599 patients aged 65 years or older. Results were analysed using descriptive statistics for quantitative data and thematic analysis for open questions. Results: In total, 249 GPs and 582 patients completed the surveys. A large majority of GPs (92-99%) and patients (91-98%) felt it was important for patients to see their own GP for life events or psychosocial issues. GPs and patients provided suggestions on how personal continuity can be improved. The thematic analysis of these suggestions identified nine themes: 1) personal connection, 2) GP accessibility and availability, 3) communication about (dis)continuity, 4) GP responsibility, 5) triage, 6) time for the patient, 7) actions by third parties, 8) team continuity, and 9) GP vocational training. Conclusion: Both GPs and older patients still place high value on personal continuity in the context of a changing society. GPs and patients provided a wide range of suggestions for improving personal continuity. The authors will use these suggestions to develop interventions for optimising personal continuity in general practice.