Key takeaways:

• Recognizing the importance of the Continuum of Care (CoC) in a person’s healthcare journey is critical to their health and well-being as well as to our healthcare system’s long-term sustainability.

• Connecting the dots across this journey can lead to increased efficiencies, reduced costs and better outcomes that benefit patients, providers and suppliers alike.

• Premier is committed to solving the challenges the CoC sector faces with dedicated staff experts, technology-driven supply chain tools, artificial intelligence (AI)-backed surveillance solutions and by advocating for necessary legislative reform.

Did you know that nearly 90 percent of healthcare services are delivered outside the four walls of the hospital? With its great depth and breadth, this segment of healthcare – referred to as the Continuum of Care (CoC) at Premier – is a vital component of the U.S. healthcare ecosystem.

When we talk about the CoC, we’re talking about more than just “post” or “sub-acute” care that someone might receive after a hospital visit. The CoC represents a person’s journey throughout healthcare, from wellness services to chronic care and everything in between. Some healthcare futurists believe in just 20 years, the vast majority of healthcare will be administered in the home setting, which will make CoC services even more prominent.

Given the CoC’s vastness and multitude of touchpoints along an individual’s healthcare journey, the central challenge is aligning the different pieces so they operate in a way that’s more efficient, more cost effective and that delivers the best possible outcomes.

Think of your own experiences. We’ve all navigated our healthcare system on our own journey or when helping a loved one. Not knowing who to call for help; providers and patients filling out cumbersome, paper-based forms; prescriptions that need to be called in rather than sent electronically; trying to understand which home care options will be covered – these situations can be all too familiar. Read more >