Continuity of care: why it matters and what we can do

Abstract

Continuity of care matters; however, expansion and specialisation of the health system tends to fragment care. Continuity of care is accompanied by a range of patient benefits, including reduced all-cause mortality; lower rates of hospital presentation and preventable admission; and improved patient satisfaction. Potential concerns have been raised about some aspects of continuity of care, but these are outweighed by the perceived benefits. There are many barriers to achieving continuity, especially in rural and remote settings. Some practical solutions have been proposed that include adapting clinic procedures, utilising a small team approach, improving staff retention and ongoing advocacy.

Characteristics of patients who access zero, one or multiple general practices and reasons for their choices: a study in regional Australia

“…However, rural areas of Australia face a multitude of barriers to achieving continuity of care including GP shortages and turnover. Hofer and McDonald have recently outlined practical solutions to increase health service continuity of care in rural Australia including appointment booking procedures that optimise continuity, identification of patients with complex, chronic health conditions, job-sharing and a focus on healthcare staff retention [ 30 ]. Although it is difficult to achieve, initiatives that enhance continuity need not come at the expense of prompt appointment access for acute health issues, potentially by leveraging effective triage.…”

District nurses’ experiences of using a clinical decision support system and an assessment tool at elderly care units in primary health care: a qualitative study

“…At the time of the study, elderly care units were relatively new and did not emphasise continuity of care. Care continuity is an important factor in the management of patients with complex health care conditions (Hofer and McDonald, 2019), including multimorbidity (Holmqvist et al, 2019). Better care continuity at the elderly care units would have made DNs more familiar with the patients and perhaps more comfortable with bringing up sensitive drug issues, such as cancer medications.…”

Characteristics of patients who access zero, one or multiple General Practices and reasons for their choices: a study in regional Australia.

“…Did not attend a GP practice in past 12 months Missing data were removed from analysis Preferred GP plus subsequent clinic (32) Convenience (32) Availability of appointments (10) Preferred GP plus subsequent clinic (20) Dr works across multiple sites (28) Convenience (16) Speci c services (27) Dr works across multiple sites (24) Speci c services (18) 4…”