Continuity of medication management and continuity of care: Conceptual and operational considerations
Objective: Continuity of care is considered foundational to high-quality care. Traditional continuity of care constructs may adequately characterize care quality in general populations, but may merit reconceptualization for patients with multiple chronic conditions. Specifically, interactions betwee...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
SAGE Publishing
2014-12-01
|
| Series: | SAGE Open Medicine |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/2050312114559261 |
| _version_ | 1828822260810514432 |
|---|---|
| author | Christopher A Beadles Corrine I Voils Matthew J Crowley Joel F Farley Matthew L Maciejewski |
| author_facet | Christopher A Beadles Corrine I Voils Matthew J Crowley Joel F Farley Matthew L Maciejewski |
| author_sort | Christopher A Beadles |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objective: Continuity of care is considered foundational to high-quality care. Traditional continuity of care constructs may adequately characterize care quality in general populations, but may merit reconceptualization for patients with multiple chronic conditions. Specifically, interactions between multiple chronic condition patients and providers involve complex medication management; therefore care continuity measurement may be more relevant if focused on the provider subset who prescribes essential medications for chronic conditions—a construct we call continuity of medication management. Our objective was to explore conceptual distinctions between continuity of medication management and continuity of care, survey existing evidence in this area, and discuss implications of our findings for future research and intervention development. Methods: In this topical review, we discuss conceptual distinctions between continuity of medication management and continuity of care, review the limited continuity of medication management–related empirical evidence, and discuss implications for future research and interventions. Results: Continuity of medication management represents a potential conceptual and measurement advance by reflecting interpersonal continuity and management continuity, and may provide a means of identifying patients at high-risk of adverse events. Empirical evidence also establishes support for continuity of medication management as a meaningful measure of care continuity. Finally, continuity of medication management may also be a potential target for future intervention to improve care delivery among multiple chronic condition patients. Conclusion: If continuity of medication management is validated in diverse populations, correlated with patient outcomes, and responsive to change, then it may be an important target for improving the health and health care of multiple chronic condition patients. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T13:11:45Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-239aadb1620a4987b6df7b51f58cec34 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2050-3121 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T13:11:45Z |
| publishDate | 2014-12-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | SAGE Open Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-239aadb1620a4987b6df7b51f58cec342022-12-22T00:23:31ZengSAGE PublishingSAGE Open Medicine2050-31212014-12-01210.1177/205031211455926110.1177_2050312114559261Continuity of medication management and continuity of care: Conceptual and operational considerationsChristopher A Beadles0Corrine I Voils1Matthew J Crowley2Joel F Farley3Matthew L Maciejewski4Center for Health Services Research in Primary Care (152), Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, NC, USADivision of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC, USADivision of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC, USADivision of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy, School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USADivision of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC, USAObjective: Continuity of care is considered foundational to high-quality care. Traditional continuity of care constructs may adequately characterize care quality in general populations, but may merit reconceptualization for patients with multiple chronic conditions. Specifically, interactions between multiple chronic condition patients and providers involve complex medication management; therefore care continuity measurement may be more relevant if focused on the provider subset who prescribes essential medications for chronic conditions—a construct we call continuity of medication management. Our objective was to explore conceptual distinctions between continuity of medication management and continuity of care, survey existing evidence in this area, and discuss implications of our findings for future research and intervention development. Methods: In this topical review, we discuss conceptual distinctions between continuity of medication management and continuity of care, review the limited continuity of medication management–related empirical evidence, and discuss implications for future research and interventions. Results: Continuity of medication management represents a potential conceptual and measurement advance by reflecting interpersonal continuity and management continuity, and may provide a means of identifying patients at high-risk of adverse events. Empirical evidence also establishes support for continuity of medication management as a meaningful measure of care continuity. Finally, continuity of medication management may also be a potential target for future intervention to improve care delivery among multiple chronic condition patients. Conclusion: If continuity of medication management is validated in diverse populations, correlated with patient outcomes, and responsive to change, then it may be an important target for improving the health and health care of multiple chronic condition patients.https://doi.org/10.1177/2050312114559261 |
| spellingShingle | Christopher A Beadles Corrine I Voils Matthew J Crowley Joel F Farley Matthew L Maciejewski Continuity of medication management and continuity of care: Conceptual and operational considerations SAGE Open Medicine |
| title | Continuity of medication management and continuity of care: Conceptual and operational considerations |
| title_full | Continuity of medication management and continuity of care: Conceptual and operational considerations |
| title_fullStr | Continuity of medication management and continuity of care: Conceptual and operational considerations |
| title_full_unstemmed | Continuity of medication management and continuity of care: Conceptual and operational considerations |
| title_short | Continuity of medication management and continuity of care: Conceptual and operational considerations |
| title_sort | continuity of medication management and continuity of care conceptual and operational considerations |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1177/2050312114559261 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT christopherabeadles continuityofmedicationmanagementandcontinuityofcareconceptualandoperationalconsiderations AT corrineivoils continuityofmedicationmanagementandcontinuityofcareconceptualandoperationalconsiderations AT matthewjcrowley continuityofmedicationmanagementandcontinuityofcareconceptualandoperationalconsiderations AT joelffarley continuityofmedicationmanagementandcontinuityofcareconceptualandoperationalconsiderations AT matthewlmaciejewski continuityofmedicationmanagementandcontinuityofcareconceptualandoperationalconsiderations |