Fletcher et al (1984) distinguish between coordination as “the degree to which various components of care bear a useful relation to each other” and continuity as “the existence of some thread—individual, practitioner, group, or medical record—that bind together episodes of care” (p.409) and notes that they are not easily separable and often used to define one another.

The AAFP (American Academy of Family Physicians) defines “continuity of care” as the process by which the patient and the physician are cooperatively involved in ongoing health care management toward the goal of high quality, cost-effective medical care. (1983) (2003)