ABSTRACT
In the last chapter, we discussed the various components or types of healthcare providers. Although they were described individually, they also comprise the continuum of care. The continuum of care includes all the different types of providers of care that a patient might need to access as he or she goes through a diagnostic and treatment process. For example, the patient who has had a stroke may initially access care through the emergency department, from which he or she is then moved to an intensive care unit in the hospital, then to a subacute unit, then to a rehabilitation facility, and perhaps to home to be cared for by home health providers. Each of these provider entities may be under different ownership and corporate structures, but each is inextricably linked from the patient’s perspective. However, that link is one-sided. Too often, these providers of care are not organizationally linked and full information does not flow from one to another. As the patient moves through the continuum, he or she must create a new relationship with each provider, including new paperwork, new insurance approvals, and new protocols of care. Each is meant to build on the work of the previous provider, but lacking electronic communication of information, often the transition of care among providers is fraught with error and miscommunication.
