Clinical Social Work Practice Alert

Urgent Input Needed for New Care Transitions Measures

Mirean Coleman, MSW, LICSW, CT
February 2009

NASW strongly encourages members who work in health care settings to take the opportunity to comment on care transitions measures which are being considered for use in transitions of care during discharges of patients from inpatient settings and Emergency Departments.  The American Medical Association/Physician Consortium for Performance Improvement (AMA/PCPI) has released for public comment a Care Transitions Performance Measurement Set. The measures were developed by a Care Transitions Work Group convened by the ABIM Foundation, the American College of Physicians, the Society of Hospital Medicine and the AMA/PCPI.  NASW is a member of the Care Transitions Work Group.

The care transition measures are an initial set of measures to address specific topics within the broader area of care coordination.  They are based on evidence-based practice and address known gaps in care.  The AMA/PCPI plans to address additional areas within care coordination in the future. 

The draft measures with corresponding response forms are available for online comment at the following Web site: www.physicianconsortium.org.  Click on the "Public Comments" link.  The public comment period for the care transitions measures  will close on March 16, 2009, at 5:00 pm Central Time.