Continuity and safety in care transitions: communication at the hospital/community care interface

摘要

In the health care setting, risks to patient safety may arise when there is poor writtenudor verbal communication between personnel during times of care transition. Careudtransition refers to the “set of actions designed to ensure the coordination andudcontinuity of healthcare as patients transfer between different locations or differentudlevels of care within the same location”. Transitions occur at staff shift changesudwithin health care institutions, transfer between institutions, or, at the interfaceudbetween acute and community care. This RESEARCH ROUNDup outlinesudcommunication mishaps that may occur in the latter instance, during discharge fromudhospital to community based care.