Alta. study determines patients in primary care networks have fewer hospitalizations, spend less time in hospital

Primary care networks (PCN) were established in 2005 in Alberta to facilitate access to inter-professional, team-based care. A study by the University of Alberta found patients in a PCN were more likely to visit the ER for certain chronic conditions (asthma, COPD, heart failure, coronary disease, hypertension and diabetes). However, when all causes were factored in, patients in PCNs had 169 fewer ER visits than those in conventional care and when admitted, spent fewer days in hospital. The study concludes that a province-wide expansion of PCN would reduce the healthcare load on ERs in Alberta.