Patient & Family Caregivers
NTOCC has developed tools and resources to help patients and their caregivers better understand issues associated with transitioning from one healthcare setting to another.
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Available Tools & Resources
The last concern most individuals have when they or their loved ones are dealing with a health situation is ensuring effective communication between their doctors, nurses, social workers and other health care providers. However, it is poor communication between well-intentioned professionals and an expectation that patients themselves will remember and relate critical information that can lead to dangerous and even life-threatening situations. NTOCC believes that patients are at the center of care and can play an active role in improving communications to ensure effective transitions. We have brought together industry leaders to create resources to help you better understand transitional challenges and empower you as part of the caregiving team.
NTOCC Updated Care Transition Bundle 2022
In 2022 NTOCC made significant changes to the Care Transitions Bundle 7 Elements to successful transitions of care. You can download the bundle and definitions.
Pharmacy Tools
"Know Your Pharmacist"
In 2022 the Transitions of Care Pharmacists Advisory Committee released its Transitions of Care Pharmacists 10 Principles. The interaction with the NTOCC community showed that many healthcare professionals were not aware of the significant role and scope of practice pharmacists have in not only transitions of care but in supporting care coordination. Pharmacists offer an array of services through the implementation of Medication Management Services (MMS). Download the “Know Your Pharmacist” tool.
Heart Failure Tools
Multi-Stakeholder Summit Heart Failure Empowerment tool
The National Transitions of Care Coalition in collaboration with our partners from the Multi-Stakeholder Summit have launched the Patient Empowerment Tool "Taking Control of Your Heart Failure: Life After a Heart Failure Hospitalization". The Patient Empowerment Tool is designed for Heart Failure patients. It highlights several key rights patients should know and offers high level guidance to support self-care management and empowerment upon hospital discharge. Supporting greater patient engagement is an important intervention for improving transitions and care coordination across the continuum of care. It is important that patients and their family caregivers understand that treating their heart failure doesn't end after leaving the hospital. The goal of the Patient Empowerment Tool is to support patients in becoming an "empowered" patient and create a stronger partnership with their health care team and heart failure provider. We have also included the addendum and support document, "COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions for Person with Heart Failure". Both documents can be found within the links to the right.
Heart Failure Charter
The Heart Failure Charter is call-to-action to reduce preventable heart failure hospitalizations and improve patient outcomes. The Multi-Stakeholder Summit was convened by Novartis Patient Advocacy with the goal of bringing together patient and caregiver advocacy groups and professional societies to better understand the burden of HF hospitalizations and transitions of care across patient touchpoints.
COVID-19 Health Management
NTOCC is excited to share a new consumer tool and resource, “COVID-19 Health Management”. This resource can assist consumers in talking to their health care professionals about issues and concerns they may have if exposed to or having symptoms related to COVID-19. NTOCC has worked with various organization and healthcare leaders to develop this new resource for providers, patients and their family caregivers “Taking Care of My Pain Management.” This is a consumer tool that allows patients and their caregivers to discuss with their providers issues and concerns about Opioid use and management. Also included with this tool are two other resources to provide information and support in understanding, managing and “Know Your Rights, Risks and Responsibilities” when opioids are prescribed. NTOCC acknowledges Quality Insights and Allied Against Opioid Abuse for their contributions.
Patient Bill of Rights During Transitions of Care
Transitions of Care (or care transitions) take place each time you go from one healthcare provider or healthcare setting to another. Problems often happen during these transitions because information is not communicated. You and your family have the right to care transitions that are safe and well coordinated. This guide can help you get the information and services you need and deserve each step of the way.
Guidelines for a Hospital Stay
Whether you were admitted to the hospital because of an illness or injury, or have planned a hospital stay for surgery or testing, being in any hospital can be an overwhelming experience for you and your family. But no matter your level of anxiety or concern, there are a number of things you can do to participate in your care and to help achieve the healthcare outcomes you desire. This brochure helps guide the patient, family, & caregiver on how to have safe and successful healthcare at the hospital.
My Medicine List
This form helps you gather important information about your medications. Filling this list out prior to visiting your doctor or entering the hospital will help ensure your health care providers know what medications you are already taking. When your doctor writes you a new prescription or changes your medication ask them to update your My Medicine List. Working with your doctors to fill out the form will help you better understand what medications you should be taking.
Taking Care of My Healthcare
Taking Care of My Healthcare has been a much anticipated consumer tool. The tool was developed by the NTOCC Tools and Resources Work Group. It has been through numerous reviews with the group, by social workers, and a literacy review. The NTOCC Advisory Task Force approved it on September 16, 2008 at their meeting in Washington DC. This tool was developed as a guide for patients and their caregivers to use so they can be better prepared when they see a healthcare professional on what kind of information and questions they need to ask. NTOCC’s goal was to keep it simple; as a guide, to open the lines of communication and to provide them with a convenient, simple format to have an updated list of their medication and what the next step in their care would be.
Informational Slide Deck
View this presentation to learn more about how Transitions of Care impacts your safety and how NTOCC is working to ensure improved transitions for you and your family.
Informational Brochure
This brochure contains easy to understand information about transitions of care that can help you in sharing and discussing this critical health care issue.
Transitions Toolkit from CAPS
Hospital discharge is a time during which patients and families are at their most vulnerable. There is so much information they need to know, just when they may be least able to absorb, remember and act on it. It is vital for members of the healthcare team to help patients leave the hospital with confidence, giving them the tools and information they need to make a smooth transition to their next destination. This toolkit, Taking Charge of your Healthcare: Your Path to Being an Empowered Patient, provides you with these tools.