Care transition strategies in Latin American countries: an integrative review

Abstract

Objective: To identify and analyze available literature on care transition strategies in Latin
American countries.
Methods: Integrative literature review that included studies indexed in PubMed, LILACS, Web
of Science Core Collection, CINAHL, SCOPUS databases, and the Scientific Electronic
Library Online (SciELO), published in Portuguese, Spanish or English, between 2010 and
2017.
Results: Eleven articles were selected and the strategies were grouped into components of care
transition: discharge planning, advanced care planning, patient education and promotion of selfmanagement,
medication safety, complete communication of information, and outpatient
follow-up. These strategies were carried out by multidisciplinary team members, in which
nurses play a leading role in promoting safe care transitions.
Conclusions: Care transition activities are generally initiated very close to patient discharge,
this differs from recommendations of care transition programs and models, which suggest
implementing care transition strategies from the time of admission until discharge.
Keywords: Continuity of patient care. Patient transfer. Health education. Discharge planning.
Patient readmission.