Hybrid care is increasingly used for chronic disease management, yet how patients are allocated to these modalities in routine practice remains poorly understood.

To characterize baseline factors associated with physician-driven allocation to hybrid versus in-person care and examine three-year clinical outcomes.

This retrospective observational cohort included adults with hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and/or dyslipidemia enrolled in a programme in Alma Mater Hospital of Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia (2019–2025). Care modality was determined by treating physicians. Associations between baseline clinical, functional–behavioural, and psychosocial characteristics, care allocation, and follow-up outcomes were examined using logistic regression and interpreted as associational rather than causal.

Among 638 participants (319 hybrid; 319 in-person), higher baseline glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.68 per 1% increase; 95% CI 2.17–3.31) and inadequate medication adherence (aOR 1.96; 95% CI 1.17–3.28) were associated with hybrid care allocation, whereas higher educational attainment was inversely associated (middle vs low: aOR 0.43; 95% CI 0.25–0.72; high vs low: aOR 0.19; 95% CI 0.10–0.33). A strong gradient was observed in the secondary complexity analysis. Hybrid care was associated with higher three-year therapeutic goal attainment (OR 7.34; 95% CI 4.96–10.86) and lower chronic disease-related emergency department utilization (OR 0.53; 95% CI 0.36–0.79).

Hybrid care allocation was systematically associated with baseline clinical and contextual characteristics. Outcome differences should be interpreted cautiously given clinician-driven allocation and baseline differences.

Understanding the characteristics of older patients in primary care is important to develop appropriate and targeted programs.

We describe the characteristics of older adults (aged 70+) accessing primary care in three Canadian provinces.

Participants (n = 594) completed a survey package comprising demographics, health system usage, presence of chronic conditions, and a quality-of-life measure, the EQ-5D-5L. Frailty was assessed using a deficit accumulation frailty index (FI).

The most common chronic conditions reported were high blood pressure (51.1%), osteoarthritis (37.2%), diabetes (22.8%), and heart disease (21.8%). Mean FI was .153; 22.9 per cent were frail (FI > 0.21). Females reported higher levels of pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression than males; females also reported lower levels of education and income. Mean self-rated health was similar for males and females, but a higher proportion of men reported optimal health across the EQ-5D-5L dimensions.

Our study provides benchmark and baseline data helpful to others planning primary care for older adults.