Patient engagement in transitions of care

In 2014, the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care awarded funding to Professor Tracey Bucknall (Principal Investigator) and researchers from Deakin and Griffith Universities to review and report on tools and strategies that facilitate the engagement of patients in communication during transitions of health care.

The aim of the review was to inform the future development of resources to assist health professionals, patients and their families to improve communication at transitions of care in acute health facilities.

An integrative review was conducted, including interviews with patients, families and health professionals across health services nationally.

Three guiding principles were evident from the review:

  1. A strong organisational commitment to patient-centred care must be embedded at all levels of the health service and across all disciplines
  2. Patients and families need training, support and encouragement to engage in transition discussions
  3. Tools and strategies need to be appropriate for the setting, but also require a level of standardisation to ensure consistency of information