Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41719422›Full record

ArticleAge and ageing2026

The impact of primary health care services, continuity of care and patterns of care on mortality and hospitalisation-related outcomes in residents of long-term care facilities: a comprehensive national evaluation.

Maria C Inacio, Johannes Schwabe, Maria Crotty, Helena Williams, Steve L Wesselingh, Andrew Kellie, David Roder, Krystal-Lee Nixon, Gillian Harvey, Janet K Sluggett and 7 more

Erratum issuedAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Age and ageing, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

17 authors.

Maria C InacioRegistry of Senior Australians Research Centre, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-8261-2665
Johannes SchwabeRegistry of Senior Australians Research Centre, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-0916-3098
Maria CrottyDepartment of Rehabilitation, Aged and Extended Care, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia.
Helena WilliamsSilverchain, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Steve L WesselinghSouth Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Andrew KellieEast Adelaide Healthcare, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
David RoderUniSA Allied Health and Human Performance, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia.
Krystal-Lee NixonSA Health Dental Service, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Gillian HarveyCollege of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia.
Janet K SluggettRegistry of Senior Australians Research Centre, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-9059-5209
Monica CationsRegistry of Senior Australians Research Centre, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-9262-0463
Tiffany K GillRegistry of Senior Australians Research Centre, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Jyoti KhadkaRegistry of Senior Australians Research Centre, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Megan CorlisAustralian Nursing & Midwifery Federation (SA Branch), Ridleyton, South Australia, Australia.
Carolyn DawkinsECH Inc, Parkside, South Australia, Australia.
Marilyn Von ThienRegistry of Senior Australians Research Centre, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Gillian Elizabeth CaugheyRegistry of Senior Australians Research Centre, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-1192-4121

Funding

Australian Government Medical Research Future Fund Primary Health Care Research Grant MRFF1200056Australian Government, National Health and Medical Research Council Investigator GNT119378Australian Government, National Health and Medical Research Council Investigator GNT1194084Australian Government, National Health and Medical Research Council Investigator GNT2016277Australian Government, National Health and Medical Research Council Investigator GNT2026400
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionHigh-quality evidence on the benefits of primary care in long-term care (LTC) is lacking. This study investigated the effect of primary health care services, continuity of care and care patterns on the risk of mortality and hospitalisation-related outcomes in LTC facility residents.

methodsA retrospective cohort study of 358 354 residents of 2948 LTC facilities across Australia was conducted (1 January 2013-31 December 2019). Primary care services, general practitioner (GP) continuity of care, and care patterns were examined. One-year risk of all-cause/premature mortality and nine hospitalisation measures were investigated. Propensity-score-adjusted survival models were employed.

resultsResidents with a care pattern inclusive of high preventive health services utilisation and low urgent after-hours attendances had lower risks of mortality [vs. high overall use, hazard ratio (HR) = 0.91, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.88-0.94; vs. high reactive use, HR = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.88-0.94] and most outcomes examined [e.g. fractures, subdistribution hazard ratio (sHRs) range = 0.90-0.91, 95% CI range = 0.84-0.97] compared to those with other care patterns. Residents who continued to see their usual GP had a lower risk of emergency department presentations (sHR = 0.92, 95% CI= 0.90-0.94), unplanned hospitalisations (sHR = 0.94, 95% CI= 0.92-0.96), falls (sHR = 0.89, 95% CI= 0.86-0.92), malnutrition (sHR = 0.88, 95% CI= 0.82-0.96), and dementia/delirium hospitalisations (sHR = 0.79, 95% CI= 0.72-0.87) than those who did not. Nurse practitioner attendances, optometrical services, comprehensive medication reviews, health assessments, management plans and podiatry attendances on their own were associated with lower premature mortality and some hospitalisation-related outcomes.

conclusionsCare patterns focusing on prevention and disease management, GP continuity of care and certain primary care services can positively impact residents' health and outcomes in LTC facilities.

Indexed as

Continuity of Patient CareHospitalizationLong-Term CareNursing HomesPrimary Health CareAgedAged, 80 and overAustraliaFemaleHomes for the AgedHumansMaleNursing Home ResidentsRetrospective Studiescontinuity of patient carehospitalisationlong-term caremortalityolder peopleprimary health care

Identifiers

PMID41719422
PMCPMC13045817

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.