What does the term "transitions of care" refer to?

The term "transitions of care" refers to changes in a patient's health care setting, which is crucial in ensuring continuity and quality of care as patients move between different locations or levels of care. These transitions can occur, for example, when a patient is discharged from a hospital to a rehabilitation facility, or when they move from a hospital to home after an inpatient stay.

Effective management of transitions of care is essential to prevent readmissions and to ensure that patients continue to receive appropriate care tailored to their needs. This process involves communication among healthcare providers and can include the sharing of information about the patient's health status, medication changes, and follow-up care plans.

In contrast, while scheduling follow-up appointments, a patient returning home after surgery, and the transfer of medical records are all related to the overall care experience, they do not encompass the entire concept of transitions of care. They represent specific components or actions within the broader process but do not fully capture the complexity and importance of managing changes in healthcare settings.