Transfer of Care Form

What is a transfer of care form?

A healthcare provider uses a transfer of care form to transfer the responsibility of a patient’s care to another provider or facility. This form is typically used when a patient is being discharged from one facility or hospital to another. The main aim of this form is to facilitate the seamless transfer of the patient and ensure that there aren’t any roadblocks in the kind of care they receive. It generally includes details pertaining to the patient’s diagnosis, medications, treatment plan, and other relevant information. 

Why is a transfer of care form important? 

There are various reasons why this form is important:

• To avoid any inconvenience or interruptions in patient care
• To avoid mistakes related to diagnosis or treatment at the medical facility that the patient is being transferred to
• To reduce the chances of readmission by ensuring proper care 
• To prevent any additional tests or procedures, thereby cutting down the overall cost of healthcare 

What are the benefits of a transfer of care form? 

There are several benefits of using a transfer of care form: 

• It helps prevent medical errors as the new healthcare providers have a complete record of the patient that is being transferred 
• It ensures seamless patient care as they have an accurate and comprehensive account of the patient’s medical history and treatment plan 
• It facilitates smooth communication between providers and ensures that everyone involved in the process of transfer is on the same page 

What details are included in a transfer of care form? 

This form typically includes the following information: 

• Patient’s personal and contact information
• Details of diagnosis 
• Medical history of the patient 
• Current treatment plan: follow ups, treatments, medications 
• Instructions for discharge 
• Contact information of provider transferring the care 
• Contact information of provider/facility that is responsible for the patient’s care
• Date and time of transfer
• Reason for transfer

What are the legal implications of a transfer of care form? 

There are a few general implications of this form: 

• The form must be HIPAA-compliant and must protect the personal health information of the patient, only disclosing it to the authorised entity 
• The information mentioned in the form must be accurate and complete, to ensure that the patient receives the best quality of care 
• It must include the consent of the patient or their legal guardian to avoid any legal liability or misunderstandings