Patients consistently treated by one primary care doctor visit the ER less often

Patients who are treated by the same primary care doctor on a regular basis go to the emergency room and are hospitalized less frequently than those who bounce between multiple providers, according to new research by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. 

The study, published today in the July issue of the journal Health Affairs, was led by Nadereh Pourat, the center's director of research. The authors looked at patient and doctor behavior before and after a 2009 policy change in a county-run health program in Orange County, California. The study found that disincentives, such as not reimbursing doctors other than a patient's assigned provider, also play a role in reducing the number of ER and hospital visits.

Although some recent analyses have found that emergency room use has increased since the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, the UCLA researchers say the new study shows that changing health providers' approach to how they deliver care—and changing how patients seek care— can improve health outcomes while reducing costs.

Researchers analyzed data from doctor's visits made by 49,000 low-income, previously uninsured adults from September 2008 to August 2010, as part of a new Orange County health program. Participants could choose to be treated by primary care doctors at a community health center or at a private practice, and doctors would be reimbursed through the program. The doctors not only provided primary health care, but also maintained patients' medical records and coordinated their care for specialized medical needs.