The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners
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Observational Study
Factors affecting the experience of joined-up, continuous primary care in the absence of relational continuity: an observational study.
There is an international trend towards the at-scale provision of primary care services, with such services often provided in different settings by a clinician unfamiliar to the patient. It is often assumed that, in the absence of relational continuity, any competent clinician can deliver joined-up, continuous care if they have access to clinical notes. ⋯ Healthcare systems increasingly rely on the assumption that any competent clinician can deliver joined-up, continuous care if they have access to clinical notes. This appears not to be the case. This study presents a model of factors affecting the patient's experience of continuity. The model needs validating in in-hours general practice and other settings.