WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Transitions of Care
Coalition (NTOCC) today recognized the tremendous strides coalition members
have made in helping healthcare professionals and organizations address
problems inherent in transitioning patients from one level of care to
another. In addition, the coalition identified critical work it needs to
undertake to help healthcare organizations implement improved transitional
processes and develop standards for best practices.
In a meeting of the NTOCC Advisory Task Force, Cheri Lattimer, NTOCC
Project Director and Executive Director of the Case Management Society of
America (CMSA), noted that the task force has grown from 13 to 29 industry
stakeholders in a little under two years. Lattimer also noted that 84 other
organizations have joined NTOCC as Associate Members since the launch of
the program in April 2008 and another 1,306 individuals have subscribed to
stay abreast of the important work being performed by NTOCC.
The Advisory Task Force reviewed tools and resources NTOCC recently
released on http://www.ntocc.org to help improve transitions of care. A new tool
was also approved at the meeting: "Taking Care of My Health Care" provides
a list of critical questions that patients and their caregivers should ask
clinical personnel to assist in ensuring safe and effective transitions of
care. "The questions included in 'Taking Care of My Health Care' help
connect the patient, their families and the healthcare professionals who
care for them," Mitchell Dvorak, Executive Director of Consumers Advancing
Patient Safety (CAPS) and NTOCC Advisory Task Force member explained.
"Patients are the only constant in a transition and while previous NTOCC
tools help professionals improve their transitions, this tool truly
empowers patients and their caregivers to help with that transition by
being a knowledgeable resource in their own care."
NTOCC identified a new working group focusing on how health information
technology can best use NTOCC tools to improve transitions of care. This
new group will look at the elements that software developers can use to
embed NTOCC recommendations and data elements into their products providing
better integration between practice settings when transitioning patients.
The Health Information Work Group joins the four other NTOCC working
bodies: Education & Awareness, Tools & Resources, Policy & Advocacy and
Performance & Metrics.
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
2006 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). Visit http://www.sanofi-aventis.us or http://www.sanofi-aventis.com.
Contacts:
Case Management Society of America
Cheri Lattimer, (501) 225-2229 x 44
sanofi-aventis
Marc Greene, (212) 551-4780
SOURCE National Transitions of Care Coalition
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Related links:
http://www.cmsa.org
http://www.ntocc.org http://www.sanofi-aventis.com
http://www.sanofi-aventis.us
CONTACT:
Cheri Lattimer, of Case Management Society of
America, +1-501-225-2229 x 44; or Marc Greene, of sanofi-aventis,
+1-212-551-4780
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