Journal of Healthcare Management - May/June 2016 - (Page 230)

Transitions of Care in an Era of Healthcare Transformation Chad Kessler, MD, FACHE, deputy chief of staff, Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina; Nicholas Elias Tsipis, MD, resident, Emergency Medicine, MedStar Washington Hospital Center, Washington, DC; David Seaberg, MD, professor and dean, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee, Chattanooga, and senior vice president, Erlanger Health System, Chattanooga; Garth N. Walker, MD, recent graduate, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine's Program in Public Health, Chicago, Illinois; and Kathryn Andolsek, MD, professor, Community and Family Medicine, and associate director, Graduate Medical Education, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina E X E C U T I V E S U M M A R Y In the practice of modern emergency medicine (EM), transitions of care (TOC) have taken a prominent role, and during this time of healthcare reform, TOC has become a focal point of improvement initiatives across the continuum of care. This review includes a comprehensive examination of various regulatory, accreditation, and policy-based elements with which EM physicians interact in their daily practice. The content is organized into five domains: Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), The Joint Commission, Affordable Care Act, National Quality Forum (NQF), and accountable care organizations. This review is meant to be a synthesis of TOC material, tailored for EM physicians and the teams that make these departments run. We include (1) relevant current regulations and standards from various entities that are most likely to affect the day-to-day practice of EM; (2) examination of the consequences of these regulations and standards and how they can be used to shape EM practice and clinical decision making; and (3) comparison of interventions aimed at improving TOC, including evidence from current literature, practical examples, and proposals. Emergency departments must develop, implement, and monitor TOC programs and processes that can facilitate seamless and efficient care as patients transfer between settings. This report provides a framework for that effort and is designed to help EM physicians continue to take the lead in improving TOC to help shape the future of modern practice. Erratum: Dr. Walker's affiliation was incomplete in the print version of this article and has been corrected here. For more information about the concepts in this article, contact Dr. Kessler at chad.kessler@va.gov or Dr. Walker at garthwalkermd@gmail.com. 230

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Journal of Healthcare Management - May/June 2016

VMSD - May 2016
Interview With Linda J. Knodel, FACHE, Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer at Mercy
Five Ideas for the Development of Successful Physician Leaders
Evolving Physician Reimbursement Structures: Moving the Medical Group to Value-Based Success
Medical Assistants as Flow Managers in Primary Care: Challenges and Recommendations
Transformational Leadership and Change: How Leaders Influence Their Followers’ Motivation Through Organizational Justice
Succession Planning and Financial Performance: Does Competition Matter?
Transitions of Care in an Era of Healthcare Transformation

Journal of Healthcare Management - May/June 2016