Guidelines Target Long-Term Care Transitions : Timely communication of adequate clinical data is instrumental to safe transitions.

▸ In planned and unplanned transitions, both the sending and receiving entities must verify that the patient has been handed over and that essential patient information has been received. “You must expect that the other side will verify this with you, and if they don't, you push it.”

▸ In both planned and unplanned transitions, the sending facility follows up to confirm and document that the patient has successfully transitioned to the new setting of care.

▸ Monitor a facility's performance in managing care transitions. “You can't improve what you can't measure,” Dr. Lett said. “Being able to say, 'We've been monitoring, and we didn't receive a history and physical 53% of the time' is a different discussion than saying, 'You never sent us a history and physical.'”

An appendix in the guidelines lists quality indicators and performance measures for care transitions.

Disclosures: Dr. Lett disclosed having no relevant conflicts of interest. Sanofi-Aventis helped fund distribution of the guidelines, which are available at www.amda.com/tools/clinical/TOCCPG/index.html

'No longer can we expect in this complex, fractionated world that the receiving site will have all they need.'

Source DR. LETT