What do "care transitions" in health care refer to?

Care transitions in health care refer to the movement of patients from one provider or setting to another. This concept is crucial for ensuring continuity of care as patients navigate different stages of treatment or recovery, such as moving from a hospital to a rehabilitation facility or from a primary care provider to a specialist. Effective care transitions involve careful coordination and communication among healthcare providers to prevent gaps in care, reduce the risk of errors, and enhance patient outcomes.

While the other options touch on aspects of health care management, they do not encompass the broader concept of care transitions. Handover of patient information to emergency services and changes in medication prescriptions pertain to specific events or processes that may occur during transitions but do not define the overall movement from one care setting to another. Discharge procedures are also part of the transition process but focus specifically on the patient's release from a facility, not the entire scope of transitions across various settings and providers. Thus, option B captures the essence of care transitions comprehensively.