The role of transitions and interactions in quality and safety within elderly health and care services—a literature review

This paper focuses upon transitions and interactions in the interface between primary and secondary service providers within elderly health and care services. Interest in transitions has grown steadily over the past decade as researchers, hospital administrators, educators and policy makers have learned that patient transfer represents a source for medical error and adverse events, leading to adverse outcomes and suboptimal care. The provision of quality and safe transitional care affects older patients the most, because they account for å high percentage of transitions. Elderly patients or users often hold a compound treatment picture characterized by complexity. They are treated for various diseases by various care providers. Such compound clinical pictures require awareness and comprehension of the task distribution among care providers in order to provide quality and safety in the treatment of elderly. An increase in the elderly population in many countries further implies that the interface between primary and secondary healthcare is particular important in creating a consistent and safe health care delivery. Despite the implementation of many health care reforms in Western countries during the last decade focusing on coordination and interactions between care levels it still remains obvious that the healthcare system faces boundaries to overcome.