Transitions of Care

Transitions of care, sometimes called patient handoffs, are a crucial to patients avoiding avoidable complications and long-term health outcomes. The Joint Commission estimates that 80% of serious medical errors occur when patients are transferred – either between facilities or between providers at the same facility. The risks of re-hospitalization, or worse, are high during transitions. Because patients are at their most vulnerable during this transition, it’s even more important that providers on both ends of the transition are communicating accurately.

Health Information Exchange Improves Transitions of Care

CORHIO is a statewide health information exchange (HIE) that healthcare professionals use to improve patient care when a patient is transitioned to another provider outside of their organization. There are more than 8,000 healthcare professionals using HIE network from various care settings including critical access hospitals, skilled nursing and post-acute care centers, long-term care facilities, home health agencies, physician offices, emergency medical services, behavioral health facilities, and more.

The HIE gives providers instant access to vital patient information that enhances care plans and treatment delivery, such as lab results and discharge instructions through either a web-based portal, PatientCare 360®, or their EHR with an HIE connection. With HIE connectivity, providers can see real-time details on the tests and treatments a patient recently had. This information can also be pulled into care summary documents that can accompany the patient upon transition, either electronically or on paper.

Direct Messaging Allows for Care Summary Exchange

Care summaries, or continuity of care documents (CCDs), created in CORHIO’s PatientCare 360 system can be sent back and forth between providers using Direct messaging. CCDs allow for accurate and timely information sharing so all providers are on the same page in regard to a specific patient.

Direct messaging is a way of securely exchanging email-like messages, in order to meet HIPAA regulations and protect health information. Learn more about Direct messaging.