Adapting The Joint Commission's Seven Foundations of Safe and Effective Transitions of Care to Home

The purpose of this article is to describe The Joint Commission's 7 foundations of safe and effective transitions of care to home: (a) leadership support; (b) multidisciplinary collaboration; (c) early identification of patients/clients at risk; (d) transitional planning; (e) medication management; (f) patient and family action/engagement; and (g) transfer of information. These foundations were identified by The Joint Commission after a review of published research; focus groups with healthcare professionals involved in transitions of care; and visits to diverse healthcare organizations. The author, who is the executive director of The Joint Commission's Home Care Accreditation Program, illustrates how healthcare organizations are adapting the 7 foundations of safe and effective transitions of care to home.