Continuity of Care

There are research findings that indicate that adequate Continuity of Care is related to better symptom control and decreased length of hospitalization and evidence suggests that it may be associated with improved mental health, functioning, and quality of life, as well as better medication compliance and decreased emergency room visits and rehospitalizations. Continuity of Care means different things for different people but we are speaking hear about the continuity of working with an individual agency and an individual service provider.

The relationship between the provider and the patient or client provides an increased understanding and trust of each other. Providers say things like, “I know that he has not been taking his medications, he has had a run in with his mother and he is starting to decompensate when he starts talking about religion. It’s a trigger for me to ask him about these things. He doesn’t usually bring them up on his own.” Other providers report that some of their clients seem really sick to others but they are functioning adequately at their baseline with continued symptoms of hallucinations or delusions without interference in there baseline level of functioning.

So, what is the value of Continuity of Care? It appears that for clients diagnosed with severe and persistent mental illness, children diagnosed with severe emotional disturbance and their families and most people seeking mental health care, benefit significantly from having an individual who consistently provides their care and knows them and their symptoms. We have found our experience in alignment with the research in this area. When clients are seen by service providers other than those with whom they have a relationship for crisis or other services this can cause fragmentation in the client’s services, increased insecurity in the patient and service provider. The bottom line, whenever possible continuity of care provides better treatment for our clients!