Healthcare is faced with many challenges related to various levels of care and how it connects to the hospital, ambulatory services and long-term care. Healthcare organizations must look into convenient care options and other patient services to drive more patient access to healthcare. Essentially a continuum of care is a system that provides a comprehensive range of health services, so that care can evolve with the patient over time. With the understanding that a patient's health may be most vulnerable during gaps in care, the continuum of care exists to ensure those gaps are filled. A continuum of care results in better care that has less stress, is more convenient, is more social, is easier on the patient and their families, and allows patients to age in place for as long as possible.
Provide a visual of various levels of care across the continuum. Use the scenario below.
Scenario:
- Consider the patient’s experience after a joint replacement surgery.
- Show different levels of care and how a patient going through knee surgery start with the primary care doctor, then goes to the hospital to have the actual surgery, then goes to physical therapy (Ambulatory care specialist) for post-surgery (post- acute) care and then back to the primary care doctor for routine follow up.
- Must include connection to primary care, hospital, ambulatory care specialty (physical therapy), and back to primary care.
Document Type/Template:
- Visual format
- 7th APA Format