Care pathway for the elderly: detailing the model

Abstract Greater knowlegde of patient history among health professionals leads to improved results. This is how the contemporary and resolutive models of care recommended by the most important national and international health agencies work. Current models of care stem from a time when Brazil was a country of young people and acute diseases. But the desire for a higher quality, more efficient and more cost-effective model of care is not only a Brazilian phenomenon. The whole world is debating the issue, recognizing the need for change and proposing improvements in their health systems. The same thing is occurring here. The theme of this text, as Dr. Martha de Oliveira, director of the Agência Nacional de Saúde Suplementar (National Agency Of Supplementary Health) (ANS) comments below, is in agreement with this movement. We advocate a logic that prioritizes low-intensity interventions and constant monitoring, with the doctor responsible for a portfolio of clients who he or she accompanies throughout the different care settings. The text proposes integrated medical treatment, a flow of educational actions, health promotion, the prevention of preventable diseases, the postponement of illness, early care intervention and rehabilitation from sickness. It is time to change and innovate!