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Vol. 1 No. 2 (2024)

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February 1, 2026
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December 31, 2024

Copyright (c) 2024 Abeer Mohammad Faisal Abduljabbar, Tahani Abdullah Obead Alshreef, Sanad Shouf Almutairi, Dalia Abdullah Almutairi, Abdulrahman Jazaa Alotaibi, Mtab Abdullah Alsahli, Abdulaziz Fehaid Khalaf Alqasir, Yasir Ali Abu Shamlah Ali Aqdi, Tahany Awaid Almotery, Fatimah Ibrahim Ahmed Awaf, Ahmed Mohammed Dulaym Alqahtani, Abdullah Saeed Aldawsari

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The Continuity of Care Record: A Review of Interoperability, Data Curation, and the "Single Source of Truth"

https://doi.org/10.64483/202412621
Abeer Mohammad Faisal Abduljabbar
King Fahd Hospital – Madinah Health Cluster,Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia
Tahani Abdullah Obead Alshreef
Tuwaiq General Center – First Riyadh Health Cluster, Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia
Sanad Shouf Almutairi
Tuwaiq General Health Center, Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia
Dalia Abdullah Almutairi
King Abdullah Medical Complex – Jeddah, Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia
Abdulrahman Jazaa Alotaibi
Third Cluster – Afif Hospital, Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia
Mtab Abdullah Alsahli
Al-Ruwaidah Hospital, Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia
Abdulaziz Fehaid Khalaf Alqasir
King Fahd Specialist Hospital – Buraidah,Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia
Yasir Ali Abu Shamlah Ali Aqdi
King Fahd Central Hospital – Jazan, Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia
Tahany Awaid Almotery
Al-Safra Health Center – Al-Mithnab, Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia
Fatimah Ibrahim Ahmed Awaf
Al-Tuwal General Hospital – Jazan,Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia
Ahmed Mohammed Dulaym Alqahtani
Al-Ruwaidah Hospital – Al-Ruwaidah, Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia
Abdullah Saeed Aldawsari
Al-Sulayyil General Hospital, Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia

Corresponding Author(s) : Abeer Mohammad Faisal Abduljabbar

Tuut26@hotmail.com

Saudi Journal of Medicine and Public Health, Vol. 1 No. 2 (2024)

Abstract

Background: The modern patient journey generates fragmented data across electronic health records, laboratory systems, and pharmacy networks, complicating clinicians' efforts to compile comprehensive patient information. This fragmentation can lead to medication errors, redundant testing, and potential patient harm, undermining value-based and patient-centered care. The promise of a unified Continuity of Care Record remains largely unfulfilled.


Aim: This narrative review aims to critically analyze the multifaceted challenge of creating a coherent, interoperable Continuity of Care Record. The review proposes a paradigm shift from passive data aggregation to active, multidisciplinary “record stewardship.”


Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted across PubMed, IEEE Xplore, CINAHL, and Scopus databases for English-language articles published between 2010 and 2024.


Results: The analysis identifies three key pillars for effective Clinical Care Record (CCR): Technical Interoperability, which grapples with syntactic and semantic challenges despite standards such as FHIR; Proactive Data Curation, which requires structured contributions from all care team members for contextual data; and Operational Governance, emphasizing the need for oversight to maintain data quality and integrity. Cross-disciplinary collaboration is crucial to tackle these challenges.


Conclusion: A cohesive Continuity of Care Record is crucial not just technically but as an organizational and clinical necessity. Achieving this requires a shift from viewing interoperability as simply data management to fostering a culture of collaborative record stewardship. A multidisciplinary team, guided by clear governance and current standards, is vital for creating a consistent narrative that offers clinicians a dependable, unified source of truth for clinical decision-making.


 

Keywords

Continuity of Care, Interoperability, Health Information Exchange, Data Curation, Clinical Documentation
Abduljabbar, A. M. F., Tahani Abdullah Obead Alshreef, Sanad Shouf Almutairi, Dalia Abdullah Almutairi, Abdulrahman Jazaa Alotaibi, Mtab Abdullah Alsahli, … Abdullah Saeed Aldawsari. (2024). The Continuity of Care Record: A Review of Interoperability, Data Curation, and the "Single Source of Truth". Saudi Journal of Medicine and Public Health, 1(2), 2222–2228. https://doi.org/10.64483/202412621
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