What notions does “continuity of care” encompass?
Reca, Martin
What notions does “continuity of care” encompass? - 2025.
71
“Continuity of care” is a key concept in public psychiatry, particularly in France. It was one of the foundational criteria in the creation of the “psychiatric sector.” Ensuring its implementation remains a distinctive feature of mental health care in the country. It is therefore a fundamental principle recognized by various official texts—legislative, regulatory, and professional—which frame the concept in a broadly convergent manner. Yet none of these texts provides a single, explicit definition. Operational definitions are inferred from the provisions and the human and material systems intended to support its implementation. Whether upstream or downstream of individual care, or in broader health plans or systems, “continuity of care”—now both a legal and ethical obligation—serves as a doctrinal label for differing, and at times conflicting, theoretical models.
What notions does “continuity of care” encompass? - 2025.
71
“Continuity of care” is a key concept in public psychiatry, particularly in France. It was one of the foundational criteria in the creation of the “psychiatric sector.” Ensuring its implementation remains a distinctive feature of mental health care in the country. It is therefore a fundamental principle recognized by various official texts—legislative, regulatory, and professional—which frame the concept in a broadly convergent manner. Yet none of these texts provides a single, explicit definition. Operational definitions are inferred from the provisions and the human and material systems intended to support its implementation. Whether upstream or downstream of individual care, or in broader health plans or systems, “continuity of care”—now both a legal and ethical obligation—serves as a doctrinal label for differing, and at times conflicting, theoretical models.
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