EpisodeOfCare

Open EpisodeOfCare profile on Simplifier ↗

EpisodeOfCare represents a defined period of organisational care responsibility. It provides context across contacts; it is not the treatment plan, appointment or clinical encounter.

When the responsibility is represented

In the recall-to-treatment scenario, one ongoing general-care responsibility covers an examination and later treatment. Completing the restoration does not end that responsibility.

The Examples on Simplifier also show planning without EpisodeOfCare. The clinical links still connect the request, booking and contact. Do not create an episode simply because the example contains one.

Reuse and boundaries

Situation	Interpretation
Another visit under the same continuing responsibility	Reuse the applicable episode.
A different clinician, room, calendar year or EHR supplier	This alone does not establish a new responsibility.
A distinct responsibility begins	Represent it separately rather than using one universal lifetime episode.
The represented responsibility ends	End the episode according to that event, not according to completion of one procedure.

A receiving organisation may represent a separate responsibility arising from an incoming referral. The sender's responsibility does not automatically end; the receiving episode can reference the incoming ServiceRequest without replacing the sender's context.

Historical data needs an evidenced responsibility mapping. The source need not have an “episode” table, but nearby dates or patient-plus-organisation alone are insufficient to identify a single responsibility. Do not invent responsibility dates or ownership.