Released today: A quality standard on transitions between hospital and home
Health Quality Ontario has released a new quality standard that addresses care for people going home after a hospital admission.
Transitions between hospital and home are complex, multiple-step processes that require integrated communication and coordination among the patient, their caregivers, the hospital team, primary care, and home and community care providers. When not managed well, patients may suffer harm from errors and delays in care.
- Download this standard to learn what quality care looks like.
- Read the recommendations for system adoption.
- Share this guide with patients to help them ask informed questions about their care.
This quality standard addresses care for people of all ages transitioning (moving) between hospital and home after a hospital admission. The transition from hospital to home is commonly referred to as a “hospital discharge.” This includes people who have been admitted as inpatients to any type of hospital, including complex continuing care facilities and rehabilitation hospitals. “Home” is broadly defined as a person’s usual place of residence and may include personal residences, retirement residences, assisted-living facilities, long-term care facilities, hospices, and shelters.
The scope of this quality standard includes all clinical populations, including groups that often face challenges with transitions, such as people with complex care, mental health, addictions, palliative, or end-of-life care needs. The scope also includes all health care providers.
My first reaction, “Good Luck, Everyone !, we’re going to need it.” Perhaps all that is proposed will eventually work out wonderfully. However, as a patient, caregiver, assigned future caregiver, and Mental Health clinician (off on medical leave), I cannot help but be concerned about the confusion all of this may (will) cause. Even if the process and outcome ends up not much different from the system that exists now, think about how well (or not), people in heightened states of medical stress, truly function with change.
As I said above, Good Luck Everyone, with this and all of the impending changes to Ontario Health “Care”.
Randi
Thanks for your comment, [@mention:366671155001752089]!
I've always tried to be optimistic. I do think the change is going to be tough as we figure out the directions we will be going in and I fear their will be people lost in the transition. The other thing that always worries me is the competition moves like this cause! Service providers striving to show that they are the best for the job. It never seems very client friendly. It will be a struggle for sure! I hope it is for a better end game.
Pat, thank you for your thoughts. I agree. I think we know that the most constructive way to implement this change, would be to have it worked out before it goes into “real” action. Many pseudo trial runs. Anything that can go smoothly for all involved, but especially the patient and caregiver/families.
The competition you’ve mentioned can be the largest obstacle to “smoothly”. Always best resolved when each designated responsibility is well articulated and knowledgeable. The fear of many at the beginning may also be job security. Let’s hope it’s implemented with prior practice of various scenarios and situations. So important to make it the least stressful all. I’m hoping for thorough pre-start “rehearsals” and easy, clear information to be given to patients. So important. - Randi
Very well put Randi. We so often have reaction without input or trials. This can reek havoc in an already precarious situation.
Thanks Pat. So right ! Perhaps human nature, but change leads to a frantic brainstorming, which leads to the loss of common(unity) sense. Leaders forget to remind their staff to “calm down” . Never given the benefit of time to work out and see the potential bumps. Time is not a waste, but a friend to organizational everything (oops, sorry, common sense). Randi