Rotating healthcare providers, gaps in medical documentation and rushed consultations are weakening continuity of care and making it difficult for some patients to build sustained relationships with their doctors at the KNUST University Hospital, a new study has found.
The study by researchers at the University Health Services of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, found that these challenges contributed to repeated medical history-taking, weakened trust and difficulties in maintaining consistent care, particularly for patients requiring regular monitoring.
Published in PLOS One on September 9, 2026, the study, titled “Exploring patient and provider perspectives on outpatient care and the family practice model at a university hospital in Ghana,” examined the experiences of healthcare providers and University staff with the existing outpatient system and explored the feasibility of introducing a Family Practice Model (FPM).
The researchers interviewed 28 participants, comprising nine healthcare providers and 19 University staff who had accessed outpatient services at the KNUST University Hospital. Semi-structured interviews were conducted between September 2023 and May 2024.
The findings were organised around two major themes: “Therapeutic Disconnection” and “A Doctor to Call My Own.”
Under the existing system, participants described difficulties associated with seeing different healthcare providers during successive visits. They said the arrangement could limit opportunities for doctors to develop a deeper understanding of patients' medical histories and for patients to establish long-term relationships with their healthcare providers.
Against this background, participants expressed support for a Family Practice Model that would allow patients to receive care from designated physicians over time — an arrangement captured in the study by the phrase, “A Doctor to Call My Own.”
Participants believed such continuity could strengthen trust between patients and healthcare providers, improve personalised care and support the management of chronic health conditions.
The researchers noted that continuity could enable healthcare providers to better understand patients' medical histories, monitor changes in their conditions and make more informed treatment decisions. Participants also associated sustained patient-provider relationships with emotional support and greater accountability among healthcare professionals.
The study, however, found that introducing the model would require more than assigning patients to particular doctors.
Healthcare providers raised concerns about workload, staffing capacity, protected time for patient follow-up and the availability of reliable documentation systems. The findings suggest that these operational issues would need to be addressed for the model to function effectively.
Participants recommended a phased implementation, beginning with areas such as staff clinics, student health services or chronic care, where the approach could be tested and evaluated before wider implementation.
The study also identified flexible patient reassignment, clear communication, effective triage procedures and digital systems for appointment tracking and continuity of care as important considerations.
The researchers concluded that a locally adapted Family Practice Model could improve healthcare quality and patient satisfaction at the KNUST University Hospital and similar healthcare settings.
They recommended pilot testing, continuous evaluation and institutional policies that support continuity of care.
Story: Abigail Ofori
