Over half of patients prefer their own doctor and will wait longer for an appointment
Convenience or continuity: when are patients willing to wait to see their own doctor?
American Academy of Family Physicians
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Convenience or Continuity: When Are Patients Willing to Wait to See Their Own Doctor?
view moreCredit: Annals of Family Medicine
Original Research
Background and Goal: This study focuses on how primary care patients balance the trade-off between continuity of care and access to timely appointments. It examines whether patients prefer to wait longer to see their own primary care physician (PCP) or prefer to see another clinician for faster care.
Study Approach: Researchers analyzed data from a cross-sectional online survey of adult primary care patients in Michigan. Patients were presented with scenarios in the survey for different visit types—annual checkups, chronic and mental health follow-ups, new symptoms, and urgent concerns—and asked to choose among three options: see only their PCP, prefer their PCP but willing to see another clinician, or see the first available clinician.
Results: 2,319 questionnaires were included in the analysis.
Over one-half of patients preferred their PCP for annual checkups, chronic condition follow-up, and mental health follow-ups. Patients were willing to wait 3-4 weeks to see their PCP for sensitive exams (68.2%), new mental health concerns (58.9%), and new concerns about chronic conditions (61.1%).
Only 7.2% of patients were willing to wait for their PCP for urgent concerns while most preferred the soonest available clinician.
Why It Matters: As urgent care rises and health systems prioritize rapid access over continuity, this study suggests these shifts may not align with patient preferences, which emphasize trust and continuity over convenience.
Convenience or Continuity: When Are Patients Willing to Wait to See Their Own Doctor?
Gregory Shumer, MD, MHSA, et al
University of Michigan, Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Visual Abstract:
Journal
The Annals of Family Medicine
Article Publication Date
24-Mar-2025
Shared decision making among primary care clinic staff and family involvement improves follow-up for chronic patients
Teamwork among primary care staff to achieve regular follow-up of chronic patients
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Teamwork Among Primary Care Staff to Achieve Regular Follow-Up of Chronic Patients
view moreCredit: Annals of Family Medicine
Original Research
Background and Goal: Regular follow-up visits are critical for managing chronic conditions, yet some primary care clinics achieve higher visit regularity than others. This study aimed to identify specific strategies used by high-performing clinics to promote consistent follow-up visits for adults with chronic conditions.
Study Approach: This qualitative study used semi-structured interviews with 15 primary care physicians, 12 nurses, 15 administrative staff, and 4 pharmacists from 12 clinics—half with high temporal regularity (patients attending follow-ups consistently) and half with low temporal regularity, identifying strategies that helped high–temporal regularity clinics maintain regular chronic care visits.
Main Results: Clinics with high temporal regularity shared key teamwork strategies that distinguished them from low–temporal regularity clinics:
Close working relationships with less hierarchical staff structures where every team member is part of the decision-making process
Staff members described a clear system to ensure follow-up for “no show” patients, beginning with administrative staff reaching out to patients and ending with recruiting the help of patients’ family members
Additional innovative strategies, including routine staff meetings, adaptive workflows, assisting patients with bureaucracy, informal communication channels, and consulting social workers
Why It Matters: This study highlights how team-based strategies—including structured follow-up systems, proactive patient outreach, and interdisciplinary collaboration—can improve regular follow-up for patients with chronic conditions.
Teamwork Among Primary Care Staff to Achieve Regular Follow-Up of Chronic Patients
Maram Khazen, PhD, et al
Braun School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
Department of Health Systems Management, the Max Stern Yezreel Valley College, Jezreel Valley, Israel
Visual Abstract
Journal
The Annals of Family Medicine
Article Publication Date
24-Mar-2025
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