We use cookies to understand how this site is used and to improve the site to make use easier. We also share details with Google for analytic purposes. For more information, and to understand the limited use we have for your data, see our privacy page.

If you do not want us to handle your data in this way you can eitherstop using this site or set your browser to request that we do not track you. Continued use of this site without setting do not track explicitly provides your authority to make limited use your data.

  1. Home
  2. Topics
  3. Time
  4. episode of care

Definition

health related period during which healthcare activities are performed to address one health issue as identified by one healthcare professional[

 

This is a concrete item and can be implemented directly

Term: episode of care; 
Synonym: health issue related episode; episode of healthcare; 
Plural: episodes of care; 

Notes

NOTE 1 An episode of care encompasses all healthcare activity period elements related to the same health issue.

NOTE 2 An episode of care starts with the very first contact with a healthcare provider for a health issue and it ends after the completion of all healthcare activities related to the last contact with that healthcare provider for the same health issue.

NOTE 3 For practical reasons (e.g. the need to state start and end dates) and also because it relates specifically to a health issue defined by a given healthcare professional, an episode of care does not necessarily coincide with an 'episode of illness' (or of disease, or of any other kind of health issue).

NOTE 4 During a mandated period of care several health issues may be handled and as such be linked to several episodes of care. These episodes of care are said to be 'concurrent'.

Examples

EXAMPLES An episode of urinary tract infection, an episode of cholecystectomy.

Diagrammatic representation

Simple graph - episode of care
 .EPS  .SVG  GraphViz DOT

Required associations

exactly one healthcare provider manages a number of episodes of care
exactly one episode of care one or more healthcare activity period elements
a number of episodes of care is centred on exactly one health issue

Optional associations

one or more episodes of care a number of episodes of care bundles

Generalisations

    health related period
episode of care

Specialisations

episode of care
    health approach