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Web site spotlight: Easing the transition

Staff Development Weekly: Insight on Evidence-Based Practice in Education, June 5, 2008

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Most hospitals have addressed the transition of patients from one hospital setting to another: emergency room to radiology, radiology to inpatient, etc. These transitions in care, known as handoffs, are areas in which facilities have tried to improve, especially since The Joint Commission (formerly JCAHO) made them part of National Patient Safety Goal #2 in 2006.

However, one of the most significant transitions in care, the transition to the home, has not been paid as much attention. Care Transitions Intervention (CTI), a program created by Eric Coleman, MD, associate professor of medicine and a geriatrician at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver, is helping to bring the transition at discharge into the spotlight. This unique program focuses on coaching patients to care adequately for themselves once they have left the hospital and are living on their own.

CTI has four main pillars:

• Patient knowledge of medications
• Patient management of personal health records
• Patient scheduling of visits to primary care physicians once they leave the hospital
• Patient awareness of "red flags"-signs that their condition may be deteriorating

Editor's note: This excerpt was taken from the article "Program focuses on most difficult transition: Going home," found in the Reading Room at www.StrategiesForNurseManagers.com. Get a free trial membership that will give you 30 days to "test drive" all the exciting features on the Web site.

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