Measuring geographic proximity and continuity with family medicine at end-of-life: Protocol for a population-level retrospective cohort study using Canadian Health Administrative Data.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Family physicians play an important role in coordinating care for medically complex patients, especially during the end-of-life (EOL) period. While continuity of care (COC) is a routinely measured care quality indicator, the influence of geographic proximity to family physicians on EOL COC has not been studied in the Canadian context. Existing research has focused on rurality indicators instead of individual-level proximity measures.

Objectives

This study objectives are to: (1) measure the association between patients' geographic proximity to their family physician and COC during the patients' last year of life; and (2) measure the association between geographic proximity and the number of days spent in the community and palliative homecare services referral in th

SUBMITTER: Hafid S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12677476 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature