Why continuity of care is important.
BY MELISSA SLIMMING
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A person’s care experience is influenced by the way they are treated as a person, and by the way they are treated by their practitioner. The ultimate goal of our service is to deliver high-quality behaviour support plans that are positive, of value and to provide an ideal experience for you, your support network and family.
I first came across ‘continuity of care’ when I was pregnant with my son. I was accepted into the midwifery program at the local hospital where I was assigned a midwife for my pregnancy and birth journey. Having a professional look after me for the duration of my pregnancy created a sense of relief. I had spoken to many mothers who have unfortunately, not been given this continuity of care and were seeing a different midwife every time they visited the hospital throughout their pregnancy. One midwife would write an extensive list of notes and another midwife would write absolutely no notes, so the next person who saw the mother-to-be was unsure of the latest update. This created uncertainty and a level of unknown for all.
In relation to why it is important that you have a similar experience with continuity of care and your behaviour support practitioner is because when you are dealing with the complexities of comorbidities or the changes in situations or the development of diagnoses, it is better to have one professional who knows you well. Having the direction of a familiar practitioner creates a depth of knowledge into what your strengths are, your challenges, your likes, dislikes and this creates better outcomes.
Here are three reasons why continuity of care will benefit you.
Positive experiences
High levels of continuity of care have been shown to result in positive patient experiences. These experiences lead to positive goal outcomes.Greater satisfaction
Continuity of care has delivered greater patient satisfaction with positive end results. Patients have been happier with the service because they have felt more comfortable with their professional.Improved outcomes
Sustained continuity of care improves quality of care, and this association is consistently documented for patients with mental and physical challenges.
