title: [COMMUNITY, HOSPITAL AND IN-BETWEEN: QUALITY MEASURES FOR THE CONTINUITY OF CARE].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The southern district of Clalit Health Services and Soroka University Medical Center are combined in an organizational configuration: the Southern Region. The Region has developed joint programs in order to advance the quality of medical care whilst optimizing the utilization of available resources. An objective continuous method of assessment was needed to evaluate the continuity of care between the community and the hospital.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To produce objective tools for quantification based on pre-existing data systems, which enable ongoing assessment of the quality of continuity of care between the community and hospital, and the impact of the introduction of novel means of improvement.
  
  
  METHODS
  We defined a set of measurements that exemplify continuity of care in different areas of transition between community and hospital, all directly retrievable from existing computerized data sources.
  
  
  RESULTS
  About forty different measurements have been defined, in different clinical areas. Of these, a dozen have already been implemented by mapping the process and the main obstacles that the patient goes through, followed by implementation of appropriate solutions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The application of an objective system of assessment of the results of continuity of care, utilizing pre-existing data sources, is essential for advancing the initiative, and is a breakthrough in the quantification of continuity of care.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Continuity of care between community and hospital has been applied in the Southern Region to dozens of quality measurements. This is a novel project developing an objective system of measurement, directly assessing the quality of continuity of care for the individual patient.
authors.forename: Orly
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Weinstein
authors.forename: Arnon D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: Doron
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Comaneshter
authors.forename: Yehuda
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Limon
authors.forename: Ilia
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hazanov
authors.forename: Michael Mishori
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Dery
authors.forename: Haim
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bitterman
authors.forename: Shlomi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Codish
authors.forename: Ehud
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Davidson
mesh_terms: D000046:Academic Medical Centers / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel; D009937:Organizational Objectives; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D058996:Quality Improvement