Medical Care · 1977 · 18 citations · 0 references
NursingHealth Care ManagementHealth SystemsContinuity Of CareHealth AssessmentHealth Services ResearchContinuing CareRetention In CareTransition AssessmentTransitions Of CareAmbulatory Care OrganizationAmbulatory Care UseAmbulatory Care WorkflowCare Continuity EvaluationContinuity In Ambulatory CareContinuity Of Care AssessmentContinuity Of Care EvaluationHealth System Implementation
A strategy is described in which explicit patient care criteria are used to measure the continuity of the health problem solving process. Prevalent diseases are selected to represent the work load of the health system. Continuity is defined in terms of rates of transition between the major clinical elements: screening, the definitive diagnostic evaluation, treatment, and follow-up evaluation. Results define critical dropout patterns and promote constructive assessment of the health care system. Sample data from the Indian Health Service are presented and discussed.