Effect of Longitudinal Care in Primary Health Care: An Analysis From the Patient's Perspective

Primary outcomes

1. Transversal qualitative exploration

   Time frame: Each patient will be interviewed once, after the loss of their long-term assigned primary care physician. Only baseline information will be collected over a period of less than one year, throughout 2024, until study completion.

   Individual semi-structured interviews will be conducted. This format allows for flexibility to accommodate participants' needs and preferences regarding the time and location of the interview (for example, in the participant's own home).

   The interview will begin with an open-ended starter question:

   "What does it mean to you to always be cared for by the same family doctor?"

   Based on the potential themes that may emerge from participants' narratives, a set of research questions has been developed and translated into interview prompts to guide the interviewer. These include:

   Have you noticed any difference in how your health problems are managed when you already know the doctor attending you? Do you think the relationship established with your doctor affects the quality of care you receive? Do you experience any barriers in healthcare when you don't have a regular family doctor? Have you ever withheld a health concern because you didn't know the professional attending you?