Family Caregiving and Transitional Care: A Critical Review (2012)

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Brief: Transition decisions made hurriedly at the point of discharge from a hospital for instance, can change patient outcomes, and can be implicated in costly hospital readmissions, serious medication errors and omissions in follow-up treatment. Also, though family caregivers are usually the individuals who will actually implement care plans following release from the hospital, they are rarely actively included in discharge planning; worse, their training, even for complex medical procedures, is often insufficient. The all-too-common result: preventable negative outcomes for patients. Family Caregiving and Transitional Care: A Critical Review is an examination of the often ignored—yet absolutely essential—role of caregiving families as patients transition from one healthcare setting to another, such as from hospital to home or to a rehabilitation facility. The report concludes with recommendations on improvements needed for practice, research and public policy.

Date: Wednesday, October 31, 2012