Communication is Key During Transitions in Care, ASHP Tells AMA Advisory Group

4/1/2009

ASHP emphasized the importance of communication between health professionals and patients in its comments on the Physician Consortium for Performance Improvements’ (PCPI) draft document, “Care Transitions Performance Measure Set.”

ASHP noted that the documents that patients receive at discharge should be written at culturally-appropriate reading and health literacy levels and suggested the use of “My Medicine List” as a tool to aid medication reconciliation. The Society also encouraged the group to make the measures consistent with The Joint Commission’s National Patient Safety Goals.

PCPI was convened by the American Medical Association. ASHP nominated PCPI member Mary Ann Kliethermes, Pharm.D., to serve as the only pharmacist on the workgroup that developed the measure set.

Read ASHP’s comments to PCPI here.