Continuity of GP care is associated with lower use of complementary and alternative medical providers: a population-based cross-sectional survey

Abstract

BackgroundContinuity of general practitioner (GP) care is associated with reduced use of emergency departments, hospitalisation, and outpatient specialist services. Evidence about the relationship between continuity and use of complementary and alternative medical (CAM) providers has so far been lacking. The aim of this study was to test the association between continuity of GP care and the use of CAM providers.MethodsWe used questionnaire data from the sixth Tromsø Study, conducted in 2007–8. Using descriptive statistical methods, we estimated the proportion using a CAM provider among adults (30–87 years) who had visited a GP during the last 12 months. By means of logistic regressions, we studied the association between the duration of the GP-patient relationship and the use of CAM providers. Analyses were adjusted for the frequency of GP visits, gender, age, marital status, income, education, and self-rated health and other proxies for health care needs.ResultsOf 9,743 eligible GP users, 85.1% had seen the same GP for more than two years, 83.7% among women and 86.9% among men. The probability of visiting a CAM provider was lower among those with a GP relationship of more than 2 years compared to those with a shorter GP relationship (odds ratio [OR] 0.81, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.68-0.96). Other factors associated with CAM use were female gender, poor health, low age and high income. There was no association with education.ConclusionsContinuity of GP care as measured by the duration of the GP-patient relationship was associated with lower use of CAM providers. Together with previous studies this suggests that continuity of GP care may contribute to health care delivery from fewer providers.

Prevalence, and health- and sociodemographic associations for visits to traditional and complementary medical providers in the seventh survey of the Tromsø study

“…This study demonstrates that more than 90% of the participants who had seen T&CM providers employed parallel health care modalities by adding conventional medicine to their use of T&CM. This is in accordance with previous findings in Northern Norway [9, 33, 48]. This underlines the need for PC-CSHC and for conventional health care personnel to be able to recognize the users of T&CM to provide this.…”

Prevalence, and health- and sociodemographic associations for visits to traditional and complementary medical providers in the seventh survey of the Tromsø study

“…This study demonstrates that more than 90% of the participants who had seen T&CM providers employed parallel health care modalities by adding conventional medicine to their use of T&CM. This is in accordance with previous findings in Northern Norway [9, 33, 48]. This underlines the need for PC-CSHC and for conventional health care personnel to be able to recognize the users of T&CM to provide this.…”

Association of Continuity of General Practitioner Care with Utilisation of General Practitioner and Specialist Services in China: A Mixed-Method Study

“…Consistent with other studies [ 20 , 38 ], our findings also showed that those respondents who gave a high rating for MC took the initiative to reduce specialist visitation. As mentioned above, consistency and flexibility of healthcare are identified as two core dimensions of MC, with the requirement that physicians should keep the planned care pathway coordinated, and adopted care should be changed in an individual’s needs and circumstances [ 39 ].…”

Use of complementary and alternative medicine in patients with health complaints attributed to former dental amalgam fillings

“…Also the fact that the period for CAM use in this study was "since onset of the health complaints" (instead of commonly "in the past year" or similar), might have contributed to the high frequency of CAM use. The higher use of CAM among men than women in our study is not in accordance with findings in previous studies of other patient groups [18][19][20][21][22]. The reason for this might be the highly selected group of male participants due to membership in a patient association and removal of their amalgam filling at their own expense.…”

Prevalence, and health- and sociodemographic associations for visits to traditional and complementary medical providers in the seventh survey of the Tromsø study

“…This study demonstrates that more than 90% of the participants who had seen T&CM providers employed parallel health care modalities by adding conventional medicine to their use of T&CM. This is in accordance with previous findings in Northern Norway [9, 33, 48]. This underlines the need for PC-CSHC and for conventional health care personnel to be able to recognize the users of T&CM to provide this.…”

Association of Continuity of General Practitioner Care with Utilisation of General Practitioner and Specialist Services in China: A Mixed-Method Study

“…Consistent with other studies [ 20 , 38 ], our findings also showed that those respondents who gave a high rating for MC took the initiative to reduce specialist visitation. As mentioned above, consistency and flexibility of healthcare are identified as two core dimensions of MC, with the requirement that physicians should keep the planned care pathway coordinated, and adopted care should be changed in an individual’s needs and circumstances [ 39 ].…”

Use of complementary and alternative medicine in patients with health complaints attributed to former dental amalgam fillings

“…Also the fact that the period for CAM use in this study was "since onset of the health complaints" (instead of commonly "in the past year" or similar), might have contributed to the high frequency of CAM use. The higher use of CAM among men than women in our study is not in accordance with findings in previous studies of other patient groups [18][19][20][21][22]. The reason for this might be the highly selected group of male participants due to membership in a patient association and removal of their amalgam filling at their own expense.…”

Prevalence, and health- and sociodemographic associations for visits to traditional and complementary medical providers in the seventh survey of the Tromsø study

“…This study demonstrates that more than 90% of the participants who had seen T&CM providers employed parallel health care modalities by adding conventional medicine to their use of T&CM. This is in accordance with previous findings in Northern Norway [9, 33, 48]. This underlines the need for PC-CSHC and for conventional health care personnel to be able to recognize the users of T&CM to provide this.…”

Association of Continuity of General Practitioner Care with Utilisation of General Practitioner and Specialist Services in China: A Mixed-Method Study

“…Consistent with other studies [ 20 , 38 ], our findings also showed that those respondents who gave a high rating for MC took the initiative to reduce specialist visitation. As mentioned above, consistency and flexibility of healthcare are identified as two core dimensions of MC, with the requirement that physicians should keep the planned care pathway coordinated, and adopted care should be changed in an individual’s needs and circumstances [ 39 ].…”

Use of complementary and alternative medicine in patients with health complaints attributed to former dental amalgam fillings

“…Also the fact that the period for CAM use in this study was "since onset of the health complaints" (instead of commonly "in the past year" or similar), might have contributed to the high frequency of CAM use. The higher use of CAM among men than women in our study is not in accordance with findings in previous studies of other patient groups [18][19][20][21][22]. The reason for this might be the highly selected group of male participants due to membership in a patient association and removal of their amalgam filling at their own expense.…”