Transforming care transitions / Jennifer Volland, Sarah Fryda

In October 2014, five new questions became part of the publically reported Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey process that provides consumers with transparency of hospital metrics. Three of the five new questions in aggregate compose the Care Transition Measures. Coordinated care in combination with a decreased length of stay goes beyond cost avoidance to include value. In a complex healthcare system, triaging care to the most appropriate location is an area that clinicians can help navigate in partnership with patients and their loved ones. Accounting for patient preferences involves, matching the questions to the individual. This requires not only asking questions, but also asking the right questions. As part of the discharge planning process, clinicians will need to help the patient plan for exceptions to a greater degree than in the past.

Nursing