Shifting from Hospital to the Community: Strategies to Ensure the Continuing Care

The relationship between hospital and the community health care has been described as fragmented, poorly articulated and with significant gaps regarding information and communication flow. As a result, the current processes of interaction between the hospital and the community, especially when the older population is involved, have implications both in the delay of hospital discharge (with all the risks and costs associated) and in the high rates of rehospitalization and elderly institutionalization. This “vicious circle” will only be broken by an effective intersectoral policy of continuity of care, featured by integration, qualification and competence.

The 7th session of the Interactions Symposium will address the challenges of interaction reinforcement between the hospital and the community health components and disclose some experiences in the field, exploring obstacles, facilitators and opportunities.