The National Transitions of Care Coalition Also Creates New Associate
Membership Category
LITTLE ROCK, Ark., May 2 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Transitions of
Care Coalition (NTOCC) announced today the launch of an enhanced website at
http://www.NTOCC.org. The redesigned site contains a variety of new downloadable
tools and information to help address transition of care challenges and to
raise awareness about transitions of care. Specific content is available
for various groups including healthcare professionals, consumers (patients
and their caregivers), policy makers and the media. NTOCC was founded in
2006 to address the challenges and complications created when a patient
transitions from one health care setting to another. NTOCC is chaired and
coordinated by the Case Management Society of America (CMSA) in partnership
with sanofi-aventis U.S. LLC.
"The launch of our revamped website represents an important step in the
development of NTOCC," Cheri Lattimer, NTOCC Project Director and CMSA
Executive Director said. "People can now find information that addresses
transitions of care from their particular perspective. Tools are available
so that both professionals and consumers can help improve transitions of
care."
The newly released tools and resources address several important areas
that impact effective transitions including:
-- Personal Patient "My Medicine List" Essential Data Elements: This is a
list of important recommended information about a patient's
medications. 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 including why they need to take the medication and for how
long. Patients who carry their updated list will 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 an effort to engage additional organizations seeking to support
NTOCC's work and increase their involvement with the Coalition, NTOCC has
also created an additional level of membership. Associate Members receive
advanced notification of tools and resources being made available for
public use and the opportunity, via a secured area on the website, to
comment on coalition activities, initiatives and tools.
"The Associate Member program is the result of a multitude of requests
we have received in the past year-and-a-half from a variety of groups to
become more involved in NTOCC," Lattimer explained.
Organizations wanting to increase their involvement with NTOCC can
submit an online application for Associate Membership. In addition,
individuals may subscribe to receive e-mail updates on future NTOCC
activities.
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 or skilled nursing
facility. 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 has guided the work of the coalition since
2007 and includes the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP), American
Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA), American College
of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), 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) and URAC.
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) 673-1144
sanofi-aventis U.S.
Marc Greene, (212) 551-4780
SOURCE National Transitions of Care Coalition (NTOCC)
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Related links:
http://www.sanofi-aventis.us
http://www.sanofi-aventis.com http://www.NTOCC.org
http://www.cmsa.org
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/232375.html /
CONTACT:
Cheri Lattimer, Case Management Society of
America, +1-501-673-1144; or Marc Greene, sanofi-aventis U.S.,
+1-212-551-4780
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