Care transitions, which is the movement of patients from one healthcare provider or setting to another, can be an extremely high-risk time for patients.  Poor care coordination and ineffective communication increases the chance that a patient will suffer an adverse health event.  To assist in smoother transitions of care, frontline healthcare staff are increasingly being asked to proactively track and support patients as they navigate through the healthcare system.

This course aims to provide an overview of how care coordination can improve transitions of care for patients, while also exploring effective strategies frontline healthcare staff can use.

Individuals with chronic conditions, a number expected to reach 125 million in the U.S. by 2020, may see up to 16 physicians in one year.  A recent survey by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) on Patient Safety Culture found that 42% of the hospitals surveyed reported that “things fall between the cracks when transferring patients from one unit to another”, and that “problems often occur in the exchange of information across hospital units.”  This course will discuss the various challenges and risk factors associated with the transferring of patients.  Health care worker will also acquire a basic understanding of the best practices and strategies for implementing a well-organized care transition plan for their patients.