Continuity of care: a multidisciplinary review

The concept-and reality-of continuity of care crosses disciplinary and organisational boundaries. The common definitions provided here should help healthcare providers evaluate continuity more rigorously and improve communication Patients are increasingly seen by an array of providers in a wide variety of organisations and places, raising concerns about fragmentation of care. Policy reports and charters worldwide urge a concerted effort to enhance continuity, 1-3 but efforts to describe the problem or formulate solutions are complicated by the lack of consensus on the definition of continuity. To add to the confusion, other terms such as continuum of care, coordination of care, discharge planning, case…

• UD
  U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• CH
  Canadian Health Services Research Foundation
• MS
  Michael Smith Health Research BC
• HR
  Health Resources and Services Administration