CONTINUITY AND INTEGRATION OF PERSON-CENTERED ASSESSMENT AND CARE ACROSS THE LIFE CYCLE

Abstract

Health is a consequence of multiple determinants operating in interrelated genetic, biological, behavioral, social, and economic contexts that change as a person develops. The timing and sequence of such events and experiences influence the health and development of both individuals and populations. A life course perspective offers a more joined up approach with significant implications for long term health gain. A three-dimensional picture needs to evolve laterally in the present, longitudinally from earlier life events and likely future projections, and vertically from the advances in the medical sciences.