TABLE 1.
Patient and clinical characteristics by primary care physician continuity a (N = 85,467)
| No care continuity (N = 24,149) | Care continuity (N = 61,318) | p values | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | <0.001 | ||
| 66.5–69 | 5250 (21.7%) | 11,475 (18.7%) | |
| 70–74 | 7035 (29.1%) | 16,935 (27.6%) | |
| 75–79 | 5892 (24.4%) | 15,377 (25.1%) | |
| 80–84 | 3887 (16.1%) | 11,093 (18.1%) | |
| 85–94 | 2085 (8.6%) | 6438 (10.5%) | |
| Sex | 0.850 | ||
| Male | 11,254 (46.6%) | 28,530 (46.5%) | |
| Female | 12,895 (53.4%) | 32,788 (53.5%) | |
| Race | <0.001 | ||
| White | 21,006 (87.0%) | 53,408 (87.1%) | |
| Black | 1999 (8.3%) | 4503 (7.3%) | |
| Other | 1144 (4.7%) | 3407 (5.6%) | |
| Hispanic | 1145 (4.7%) | 2602 (4.2%) | 0.001 |
| Marital status | <0.001 | ||
| Married | 12,796 (53.0%) | 33,666 (54.9%) | |
| Unmarried | 10,573 (43.8%) | 25,608 (41.8%) | |
| Unknown | 780 (3.2%) | 2044 (3.3%) | |
| Nonmetro residence location | 4053 (16.8%) | 10,598 (17.3%) | 0.156 |
| Residential ZIP‐code income quintiles | <0.001 | ||
| <$33,000 | 5401 (22.4%) | 13,356 (21.8%) | |
| $33,000–$39,999 | 3644 (15.1%) | 9594 (15.7%) | |
| $40,000–$49,999 | 4705 (19.5%) | 12,846 (21.0%) | |
| $50,000–$62,999 | 4663 (19.3%) | 12,012 (19.6%) | |
| ≥$63,000 | 5702 (23.6%) | 13,441 (21.9%) | |
| Unknown | 34 (0.1%) | 69 (0.1%) | |
| Residential ZIP‐code high school education | <0.001 | ||
| <30% | 5641 (23.4%) | 13,168 (21.5%) | |
| 30%–39% | 3848 (15.9%) | 9530 (15.5%) | |
| 40%–49% | 3901 (16.2%) | 10,905 (17.8%) | |
| 50%–59% | 4415 (18.3%) | 11,332 (18.5%) | |
| ≥60% | 6310 (26.1%) | 16,314 (26.6%) | |
| Unknown | 34 (0.1%) | 69 (0.1%) | |
| Comorbid conditions | <0.001 | ||
| None | 10,725 (44.4%) | 24,036 (39.2%) | |
| 1 to 2 | 9429 (39.1%) | 27,005 (44.0%) | |
| 3 or more | 3995 (16.5%) | 10,277 (16.8%) | |
| Tumor site | <0.001 | ||
| Lung | 11,991 (49.7%) | 28,979 (47.3%) | |
| Colorectal | 6822 (28.3%) | 17,838 (29.1%) | |
| Kidney | 1012 (4.2%) | 3097 (5.1%) | |
| Esophagus | 455 (1.9%) | 1026 (1.7%) | |
| Bladder | 969 (4.0%) | 2273 (3.7%) | |
| Brain and nerve | 2900 (12.0%) | 8105 (13.2%) | |
| Any direct cancer treatments b | 19,064 (78.9%) | 47,826 (78.0%) | <0.001 |
| Chemotherapy | 13,928 (57.7%) | 34,164 (55.7%) | |
| Radiotherapy | 8268 (34.2%) | 19,622 (32.0%) | |
| Surgery | 7707 (31.9%) | 20,399 (33.3%) | |
| Stage IV c | 12,380 (51.3%) | 30,926 (50.4%) | 0.006 |
| Disability | 2020 (8.4%) | 3714 (6.1%) | <0.001 |
| Multiple cancer | 2170 (9.0%) | 5573 (9.1%) | 0.637 |
| Months from diagnosis to death/censored d | |||
| 7–12 months | 7120 (29.5%) | 17,214 (28.1%) | |
| 13–24 months | 6025 (25.0%) | 15,030 (24.5%) | |
| 25–36 months | 3406 (14.1%) | 8791 (14.3%) | |
| >36 months | 7598 (31.5%) | 20,283 (33.1%) | |
| Year of diagnosis | <0.001 | ||
| 2001–2003 | 5159 (21.4%) | 11,758 (19.2%) | |
| 2004–2006 | 6323 (26.2%) | 16,336 (26.6%) | |
| 2007–2009 | 6325 (26.2%) | 16,324 (26.6%) | |
| 2010–2012 | 6342 (26.3%) | 16,900 (27.6%) | |
| Site of region | 0.004 | ||
| California | 6737 (27.9%) | 17,046 (27.8%) | |
| Connecticut | 1499 (6.2%) | 3901 (6.4%) | |
| Detroit | 1676 (6.9%) | 4855 (7.9%) | |
| Georgia | 3027 (12.5%) | 6693 (10.9%) | |
| Hawaii | 188 (0.8%) | 780 (1.3%) | |
| Iowa | 1388 (5.8%) | 4090 (6.7%) | |
| Kentucky | 2075 (8.6%) | 5683 (9.3%) | |
| Louisiana | 1587 (6.6%) | 3680 (6.0%) | |
| New Jersey | 3431 (14.2%) | 9222 (15.0%) | |
| New Mexico | 574 (2.4%) | 1049 (1.7%) | |
| Seattle | 1507 (6.2%) | 3398 (5.5%) | |
| Utah | 460 (1.9%) | 921 (1.5%) |
| Mean (SD) | p values | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of primary care physician visits the year prior to diagnosis | 6.9 (8.2) | 7.8 (7.1) | <0.001 |
| Number of primary care physician visits the year after diagnosis | 8.9 (10.1) | 10.5 (10.2) | <0.001 |
Note: p values for having primary care physician (PCP) continuity and patient characteristics were calculated with Pearson's Chi‐square tests for categorical variables and two‐group t‐tests for PCP visits.
PCP care continuity was defined as having visited the predominant PCP—who saw a patient the most frequently during the year prior to cancer diagnosis—within 6 months after cancer diagnosis.
An indicator of patients who underwent any direct cancer treatments, including chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgical procedures for the primary tumor sites within 6 months following a diagnosis of poor‐prognosis cancers. Chemotherapy‐, radiation‐, and surgical‐related claims were identified using codes from the International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Current Procedural Terminology codes, and Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System codes.
Brain cancer (n = 11,005) is unspecified in the staging system.
Follow‐up time since diagnosis is the duration from cancer diagnosis to death among decedents and to December 31, 2015 among nondecedents.