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Continuity of care now and in the future

Continuity of care is a cornerstone of effective, equitable healthcare. It means providing coordinated, seamless, and ongoing care to patients across different settings, timeframes, and stages of life. Today, both Italy and Europe face new and complex challenges affecting this crucial principle. Demographic changes are at the forefront. Populations are aging, with projections estimating that over 129 million Europeans will be over 65 by 2050, placing increasing pressures on our health systems. Italy, with one of the highest life expectancies in Europe, is especially aware of these dynamics. More people are living with chronic and complex health conditions, making continuity of care more essential than ever.

At the heart of this continuity stands general practice. General practitioners are not only the first point of contact but also play a central role in coordinating care, managing chronic illness, and building trusted relationships with patients and their families. Recent policies in Italy—including reforms introduced through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan—have recognized this by strengthening the role of primary care teams and integrated care pathways. These reforms foster multidisciplinary collaboration, shifting away from hospital-centric models toward patient-centered, community-based care. But policy reform alone is not enough. Digital innovation is fundamentally reshaping what continuity of care means in practice. In Italy, investments in telemedicine, digital health records, and remote patient monitoring are helping to reduce regional disparities and improve access. At the European level, the European Health Data Space, introduced this year, is enabling countries to securely share electronic prescriptions and medical summaries, supporting seamless cross-border care. Technologies like artificial intelligence, remote monitoring, and connected care platforms have already demonstrated real impact: reducing hospital admissions, enabling early intervention for frail patients, and helping clinicians manage complex cases more efficiently. Looking to the future, continuity of care in Italy and Europe will increasingly depend on our ability to advance integrated care models, empower general practitioners, and harness digital technology. This means not just adopting new tools, but fostering a cultural transformation in our health systems prioritizing multidisciplinary teamwork, investing in workforce development, and always putting the patient experience at the center.Only through this comprehensive approach can we deliver consistent, high-quality, and equitable care for every citizen, meeting today’s challenges and those of tomorrow.

Host Organising Committee