This is a legal term used to describe the length of time you have continued to treat with your doctor. In many cases, after a patient has been injured by a doctor, patients unwittingly continue to see their doctor for follow-up care related to the injuries that the doctor caused. Generally, the time in which you have to start your lawsuit starts from the date of the malpractice. However, in some cases, the time in which you might be able to start your case could run from the date of the last treatment in which you were treated by the same doctor (or hospital) for the same condition or complaint as you originally went to him about. The specific facts must be investigated, as well as the specific timing of visits. It is also very important to know whether the doctor or their office initiated the visit, or whether it was the patient who requested the appointment. This will help to establish whether there was in fact "continuous treatment."