Connecting unattached patients to comprehensive primary care: a rapid review

INTRODUCTION: Lack of access to primary care providers (PCPs) is a significant hurdle to receiving high-quality comprehensive health care and creates greater reliance on emergency departments and walk-in clinics. METHODS: We conducted a rapid review and analysis of the literature that discusses approaches to increasing access to continuous care for patients with no PCP (‘unattached patients’). RESULTS: Five distinct themes across 38 resources were identified: financial incentives for patients and providers, health care organization, policy intervention, virtual care and health information technology (HIT), and medical education. Approaches that increased attachment were primary care models that combined two or more of these and reflected the Patient’s Medical Home (PMH) model. CONCLUSIONS: Although there are individual initiatives that could allow for temporary relief, long-term and community-wide success lies in designing models of primary care that use multiple tools, meet the needs of the community, and are supported by regional, provincial, and national policies.