Elements | Description | |
---|---|---|
Original model of continuity by Haggerty and Reid [16] | ||
1. Client and family | The perceived coordination of care for a single client over time. | |
2. Information continuity | The capacity of information belonging to a client, between providers and over time, to facilitate continuity of care experience [27]. | |
3. Management continuity | The extent to which services delivered by different healthcare professionals are timely and complementary such that care is experienced as continuous [28]. | |
4. Relationship continuity | A sustained relationship between a patient and a specific healthcare professional [29]. | |
Extended features of model of continuity by Price and Lau [15] | ||
1. Circle of care | An individual client’s healthcare system. The circle of care is a soft system that consists of the client, providers, other agents, and the information repositories (paper and electronic) related to that client. It is self-organizing, can span organizations, and changes based on the needs of the client and availability of resources [15]. | |
2. Environmental influences | Factors outside the circle of care that can influence continuity of care – factors that are not related to the client, professionals, or information repositories. | |
3. Provider connectedness | Cohesiveness of the relationships between professionals in a circle of care. | |
4. Communication patterns | Transfer care | Handing off care responsibilities between care professionals of a similar capability. |
Provide current information | Ensuring that other professionals are aware of current findings and plans by sending information directly to named members of the circle of care. | |
Encounter with client and family | Communicating with the client to examine the client’s condition share information, educate, and to develop a common understanding or plan. | |
Request historical information | Seeking additional information from a particular professional, care team, or organization. | |
Document in shared record | Documenting findings/plans in a location that is accessible to others (who have access). | |
Review shared record | Review information shared by other members of the circle of care to increase knowledge of a client’s condition. | |
Request generic advice | Request information and advice about options related to a client case. | |
Request assessment and treatment | Contact another professional to request an action to assess and provide treatment recommendations to a client, based on their assessment. | |
Orders | Request that specific activity be delegated to or performed by another professional. | |
Case conference | To review, in real time with more than two individuals, the status and plans for the clients from multiple viewpoints. |