Continuum of Care

The concept of continuum of care responds to the challenge of providing appropriate services at appropriate times to individuals with multiple medical, psychosocial, and material needs. In individual patient care, the continuum of care refers to treatment planning that includes comprehensive, multidisciplinary services at levels that are tailored to individual patient needs. Structuring treatment and services along a continuum of care corresponds to a biopsychosocial perspective on health and is particularly important in the treatment of substance abuse and dependency, which are often accompanied by complex medical, mental health, and socioeconomic challenges. Interventions that address all of patients' salient needs are more likely to lead to optimal individual outcomes, including stable recovery from substance abuse. Continuum of care also refers to a systems-level approach to ...