The Transitions of Care Learning Collaborative details the experience of six hospital systems as they implement selected Transitions of Care Standards to improve patient and hospital outcomes.

The American Case Management Association (ACMA) releases implementation results of the Transitions of Care Standards at six hospital systems across the country.

LITTLE ROCK, ARK, UNITED STATES, February 8, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ -- In February 2019, ACMA released the first multi-setting, interprofessional National Transitions of Care (TOC) Standards aimed at improving patient care transitions across the continuum of care. This week, ACMA released a study evaluating the efficacy of those standards at six hospital systems across the country.

The importance of facilitating successful care transitions improves quality of care and patient outcomes, reduces hospital costs, and decreases emergency department visits and other expensive services. Within the last several years, federal and private payers have released various initiatives that emphasize the need for improved care after a patient leaves the hospital including value-based care models, CMS readmission penalties, Bundled Payments for Care Improvement (BPCI) and the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP).

“The TOC Standards include fundamental and aspirational benchmarks to improve successful care transitions,” said Greg Cunningham, Founder and CEO of ACMA. “This learning collaborative put those standards into practice, telling us if they provide actionable guidance to improve patient and hospital outcomes. Despite the challenges of COVID-19, the results are encouraging.”

Key findings of the TOC Learning Collaborative include improved survey responses in the ability to identify at-risk patients, complete transition assessments, perform medication reconciliation, and establish care plans and communication. Case management departments from across the country participated in the learning collaborative, including: Advocate Aurora Health (Ill., Wis.); Duke University Health System (N.C.); Inova Health (Va.); Memorial Hermann Health System (Texas); Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center (Conn.); and Tenet Health.

The learning collaborative began shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic reached American hospitals. As a result, some of the overarching evaluation metrics had to be narrowed or scaled down to allow case management staff to focus on their pandemic response. However, COVID-19 highlighted the importance of cross-continuum communication for safe and effective transitions.

“We saw the need to implement these standards emphasized in a big way during the pandemic,” said Marlene Bober, Vice President of Practice Development at ACMA. “Systems with the most open, transparent communication with post-acute providers were more successful at meeting challenges, transmitting important information such as COVID-19 test results and solving transition delays.”

Financial support for the Transitions of Care Standards and the Learning Collaborative was provided by Pfizer. The full report and additional information about ACMA’s Transitions of Care Standards are available at transitionsofcare.org.

About ACMA:
Founded in 1999, the American Case Management Association (ACMA) is a national, nonprofit, professional membership association, which strives to provide resources, solutions, and support for case management and transitions of care professionals. ACMA is comprised of more than 8,000 members nationwide, including nurses, social workers, physicians and other professionals affiliated with case management. Through a variety of educational conferences and networking events at both the state and national level, ACMA provides its members with numerous opportunities to develop their skills, grow in their profession and learn from the experiences and practices of fellow members. For more information, visit http://www.acmaweb.org.

Jon Vickers
American Case Management Association
+1 5019072262
jvickers@acmaweb.org
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