Transitions in Care: When Words Can Save Lives

Among the myriad of skills required of emergency medicine (EM) physicians, communicating concise and effective transitions in care is one of the most critical for patient safety. EM physicians transition care daily, both within their own department and among other specialties. We will discuss the crucial link between care transitions and patient safety, the processes and challenges in the hand-over exchange, and recommend an approach to improve your current system with transitions in care.