• Saad Mohammad Alsaad, Fahad Alajlan, Reema Alserhani, Nouf Alhussaini, Najoud Alali, and Saud Abdullah Alatawi.
• Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
• Patient Prefer Adher. 2024 Jan 1; 18: 150915151509-1515.

BackgroundContinuity of care is one of the main principles of family medicine, described as a relationship with a single provider that extends beyond a single illness episode. This retrospective study, conducted at King Saud University Family Medicine Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, aimed to investigate the impact of having a regular primary care provider on clinical outcomes and preventive service delivery for patients with diabetes and/or hypertension.MethodsThe study, spanning 2017 to 2019, included 400 patients diagnosed with diabetes and/or hypertension for at least six months before the 6-month pre-attachment period to regular family medicine physicians in 2018. Data before and after attachment for at least six months were compared using electronic health records.ResultsThe mean age of the patients was 60.9, with a predominant female representation (66.8%) and 90.7% Saudis. Results indicated a significant improvement in glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels (p = 0.005) and systolic blood pressure (p = 0.014) post-attachment. Preventive service delivery saw notable enhancements, with increased colon cancer screening (p = 0.03), breast cancer screening (p < 0.001), and retinal screening (p < 0.001) post-attachment.ConclusionThis study's findings underscore the importance of continuity of care in chronic disease management and provide valuable and promising insights into the Saudi healthcare context, aligning with the Saudi Ministry of Health's vision for universal access to regular primary care providers.© 2024 Alsaad et al.

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