Box 1.

Formulas for calculating rate GP contacts and continuity of care score

$\begin{array}{l}\text{Rate}\hspace{0.17em}\text{GP}\hspace{0.17em}\text{contacts}\hspace{0.17em}\text{per}\hspace{0.17em}\text{month}:\\ =\frac{\text{number}\hspace{0.17em}\text{of}\hspace{0.17em}\text{contacts}\hspace{0.17em}\text{with}\hspace{0.17em}\text{a}\hspace{0.17em}\text{GP}\hspace{0.17em}\text{between}\hspace{0.17em}\text{months}\hspace{0.17em}12\hspace{0.17em}\text{to}\hspace{0.17em}4\hspace{0.17em}\text{before}\hspace{0.17em}\text{death}}{(271-\text{number}\hspace{0.17em}\text{days}\hspace{0.17em}\text{in}\hspace{0.17em}\text{hospital}\hspace{0.17em}\text{between}\hspace{0.17em}\text{months}\hspace{0.17em}12\hspace{0.17em}\text{to}\hspace{0.17em}4\hspace{0.17em}\text{before}\hspace{0.17em}\text{death})}\times 30\end{array}$ $\begin{array}{l}\mathit{Continuity}\hspace{0.17em}\mathit{of}\hspace{0.17em}\mathit{care}(\mathit{CoC})\mathit{score}:\\ \mathit{Coc}=\frac{(\sum n_i^2-N)}{N(N-1)}\end{array}$ni = the number of contacts the patient had with a GP during the exposure period (months 12 and 4 before death)N = the total number of GP contacts during exposure period.