care transition
The movement of a patient between healthcare settings, levels of care, or care providers during the course of an illness or rehabilitation episode, requiring coordinated handover of clinical information.
Full Definition
Care transitions in geriatric rehabilitation typically involve movement from acute hospital to inpatient rehabilitation unit, to community or home-based care, or to a long-term care facility. Poor care transitions are a leading cause of medication errors, readmissions, and adverse outcomes in older adults. From an editorial standpoint, the term is used as an open compound noun ('care transition') and should not be hyphenated unless used attributively before a noun (e.g., 'care-transition planning'). It is distinct from 'discharge' in that it encompasses the entire process of coordinated handover rather than the moment of leaving a facility.
Usage
Usage note: Use as an open compound: 'care transition.' Hyphenate only in attributive position: 'care-transition coordinator.' Do not treat as synonymous with 'discharge.'
In Context
- "The care transition from the inpatient rehabilitation unit to the community therapy programme was managed by the social worker and discharge nurse." — Discharge summary
- "Poorly coordinated care transitions remain a significant driver of 30-day readmission rates in geriatric populations." — Quality improvement report