It is communication between physicians and staffs who care for the patient along service lines. It is access to the same teaching information, on all subjects, so all involved take on the role of patient educator and are conveying the same information. This philosophy is based on sharing information, communicating through interconnected data bases, and discussing patient treatment protocols on a continual basis. Other efforts such as coordination of patient's return visits during the same time frame to avoid two or three separate visits for check-ups embody this concept as well. If the care is continuous and coordinated, breast health consumers are not averse to physically moving from one place to another.
Continuity of care is facilitated by the multidisciplinary conferences.
Conferences should include the evaluation of new patients as well as a periodic report on previous patients and their treatment progress. A breast health specialist, a nurse specializing in breast cancer, is the foundation for patient care continuity. It is her responsibility to provide updates on the patient to the multidisciplinary team. The specialist intervenes at diagnosis and serves as a triage nurse or case manager. The nurse assesses the patient for educational and support needs and takes the necessary steps to insure that the needs are met.