连续性护理对于老年患者的健康结果至关重要，尤其是对于那些有复杂需求的患者。这是初级卫生保健的一项关键职能。尽管中国在政策上努力促进连续性护理和综合医疗保健体系，但基层医疗中心 (PHC) 的利用率普遍很低。 探讨老年癌症患者对连续性护理的经验和看法，并研究初级卫生保健中心如何在中国医疗保健系统内护理的连续性。在中国江苏省南通市的两家三级医院进行了一项采用半结构化访谈的定性研究。主题分析采用演绎与归纳相结合的方式。对29名患者的访谈突出了三个关键主题：患者与不同级别医生的联系没有指导、专家主导的后续护理未满足患者的需求、协调沟通不力跨越医疗保健水平。这项研究清楚地表明，患者缺乏护理连续性的个人意识和经验，尽管中国致力于建立一体化的医疗保健体系，但这是一个关键问题。在当前的老年人医疗保健系统中，癌症护理每个阶段对连续性护理的需求在很大程度上无法衡量患者。与三级医院相比，初级保健中心提供的好处包括便利、减轻医生负担、有更多时间以及较低的自付费用，特别是对于有长期医疗需求的患者。然而，需要解决诸如缺乏综合医疗记录和初级卫生保健人员角色不明确等障碍，以提高初级卫生保健人员在连续性护理中的关键作用。© 作者 2024。由牛津大学出版社代表英国老年病学出版社会。

Continuity of care is essential to older patients' health outcomes, especially for those with complex needs. It is a key function of primary healthcare. Despite China's policy efforts to promote continuity of care and an integrated healthcare system, primary healthcare centres (PHCs) are generally very underused.To explore the experience and perception of continuity of care in older cancer patients, and to examine how PHCs play a role in the continuity of care within the healthcare system in China.A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews was conducted in two tertiary hospitals in Nantong city, Jiangsu province, China. A combination of deductive and inductive analysis was conducted thematically.Interviews with 29 patients highlighted three key themes: no guidance for patients in connecting with different levels of doctors, unmet patients' needs under specialist-led follow-up care, and poor coordination and communication across healthcare levels. This study clearly illustrated patients' lack of personal awareness and experience of care continuity, a key issue despite China's drive for an integrated healthcare system.The need for continuity of care at each stage of cancer care is largely unmeasured in the current healthcare system for older patients. PHCs offer benefits which include convenience, less burdened doctors with more time, and lower out-of-pocket payment compared to tertiary hospitals, especially for patients with long-term healthcare needs. However, addressing barriers such as the absence of integrated medical records and unclear roles of PHCs are needed to improve the crucial role of PHCs in continuity of care.© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Geriatrics Society.