CHICAGO, April 17 /PRNewswire/ -- National Transitions of Care
Coalition (NTOCC) Advisory Task Force today authorized the release of
recently developed tools for helping healthcare professionals and
organizations address problems inherent in transitioning patients from one
level of care to another. The tools represent the culmination of several
months of collaboration between 29 industry stakeholders who joined
together in 2006 to address challenges associated with transitions of care.
In addition, NTOCC is also releasing accompanying information on how to
implement and measure the tools as well as material designed to raise
industry, policy maker, media and the general public's awareness of
transitions of care. The material will be made available on NTOCC's website
(http://www.NTOCC.org) at the end of April. NTOCC is chaired and coordinated by
the Case Management Society of America (CMSA) in partnership with
sanofi-aventis U.S. LLC.
"The amount of work this group has accomplished in just 18 months is
impressive," Cheri Lattimer, NTOCC Project Director and CMSA Executive
Director said. "For a group this large, representing such various points of
view within healthcare, to come together and not only agree that
transitions of care is a serious problem but also design, develop and
launch tools to impact this issue is a fantastic accomplishment."
Included with the launch of the tools is a "Case Study Implementation
and Evaluation Plan" on how healthcare providers can implement them within
their clinical environments as well as a process for evaluating and
measuring their effectiveness. "Providers can use the tools and process to
start making changes in how transitions occur within their facilities," H.
Edward Davidson, PharmD, MPH and the representative of the American Society
of Consultant Pharmacists (ASCP) said. "The goal is that providers are
empowered to take the first step at measuring their own performances in
transitions of care and identify areas for improvement. These areas include
such things as improving how medication changes are reconciled when
patients move from a nursing home to a hospital, through the hospital, and
through the discharge process." The materials include an educational
component about transitions of care, an implementation case study and
evaluation methodology.
The released tools address several important areas that impact
effective and safe transitions including:
-- Personal Patient "My Medicine List" Essential Data Elements: This is a
list of medications to be carried at all times by every patient. The
data elements indicate the prescriptions that patients have been
prescribed and are currently taking along with information about their
over-the-counter medications, vitamins, and nutritional supplements.
The goal of the personal medicine list is to help patients improve
their understanding of their current medicine regimens and assist
healthcare providers in ensuring safe transference of medication
information.
-- Medication Reconciliation Essential Data Specifications: These
consensus elements will help healthcare professionals collect, transmit
and receive critical medication information needed when patients move
from one practice setting or level of care to another. The use of
these elements in the reconciliation process required by the Joint
Commission could help reduce medication errors.
-- Elements of Excellence Transitions of Care Checklist: This list
provides a detailed description of effective patient transfer between
practice settings. This process can help to ensure that patients and
their critical medical information are transferred safely, timely, and
efficiently.
In addition, NTOCC authorized the release of materials that will help
the industry, consumers, government officials and regulators better
understand the problems inherent in transitions of care and recommendations
on how to create better transitions. This material includes an awareness
slide deck as well as a detailed concept paper outlining steps to be
considered by the healthcare industry and policy makers to improve
transition performance.
Transitions of care include situations in which a patient moves from
primary care to specialty physicians or moves within the hospital including
moves from the emergency department to other various departments, such as
surgery or intensive care; or when a patient is discharged from the
hospital and goes home or to an assisted living, skilled nursing facility,
or hospice. Patients, especially older persons, face significant challenges
when moving from one level of care or practice setting to another in the
healthcare system. During these transitions, lack of communication can
result in redundant or conflicting information that often creates serious
issues for patients, their caregivers and their families.
The NTOCC Advisory Board includes the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy
(AMCP), American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA),
American Geriatrics Society (AGS), American Medical Directors Association
(AMDA), American Medical Group Association (AMGA), American Society of
Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), American Society on Aging (ASA), American
Society of Consultant Pharmacists (ASCP), AXA Assistance USA Inc., Case
Management Society of America (CMSA), Consumers Advancing Patient Safety
(CAPS), Health Services Advisory Group (HSAG), Institute for Healthcare
Improvement (IHI), Joint Commission International Center for Patient Safety
(ICPS), Lipitz Center for Integrated Health Care, Mid-America Coalition on
Health Care (MACHC), National Association of Directors of Nursing
Administration - Long Term Care (NADONA / LTC), National Association of
Social Workers (NASW), National Business Coalition on Health (NBCH),
National Case Management Network of Canada (NCMN), National Quality Forum
(NQF), Predictive Health, LLC, sanofi-aventis, U.S., LLC, Society of
Hospital Medicine (SHM), The Joint Commission Disease - Specific Care
Certification, United Health Group (UHG), URAC and the United States
Department of Defense.
About the National Transitions of Care Coalition (NTOCC)
NTOCC was formed in 2006 to address a serious U.S. health care issue:
problematic situations which can occur when patients leave one care setting
and move to another care setting. The U.S. healthcare system often fails to
meet the needs of elderly patient populations during these transitions
because care is rushed and responsibility is fragmented with little
communication across care settings and multiple providers. These failures
lead to undue burdens on patients and their families and negatively impact
patient safety, quality of care and outcomes. The focus of NTOCC is to
bring together thought leaders and health care experts from various
settings to address this critical issue, define solutions and develop tools
to address the gaps impacting patient care. Tools and resources developed
by NTOCC will be made available to everyone in the health care industry
including providers, payers, patients and consumers. NTOCC is chaired and
coordinated by the Case Management Society of America in partnership with
sanofi-aventis U.S. LLC. For more information visit http://www.ntocc.org.
About Case Management Society of America (CMSA)
Established in 1990, the Case Management Society of America is an
international non-profit 501(c)(6) multi-disciplinary professional
association dedicated to the support and advancement of the case management
profession through educational forums, networking opportunities,
legislative advocacy, and establishing standards to advance the profession.
It is based in Little Rock, AR, and serves more than 20,000
members/subscribers and 70 affiliate and pending chapters. Since its
inception, CMSA has been at the forefront of setting professional standards
for the industry, which allows for the highest level of efficiency and
integrity, as well as developing national and local leaders who are
recognized for their practice and professional excellence. For more
information on CMSA, call CMSA at (501) 225-2229 or go to http://www.cmsa.org.
About sanofi-aventis
Sanofi-aventis, a leading global pharmaceutical company, discovers,
develops and distributes therapeutic solutions to improve the lives of
everyone. Sanofi-aventis is listed in Paris (EURONEXT: SAN) and in New York
(NYSE: SNY).
Contacts:
Case Management Society of America
Cheri Lattimer, (501) 225-2229 x 44
sanofi-aventis
Marc Greene, (212) 551-4780
SOURCE The National Transitions of Care Coalition
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Related links:
http://www.sanofi-aventis.us
http://www.ntocc.org http://www.cmsa.org
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/232375.html/
CONTACT:
Cheri Lattimer of Case Management Society of
America, +1-501-225-2229 x 44, Marc Greene of sanofi-aventis,
+1-212-551-4780
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