Transitional Care Navigation.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Nursing Science
• Patient Care

Background:

• Transitional care navigation is crucial for managing patients' healthcare journeys beyond hospital settings.
• Effective navigation addresses challenges in care transitions, information exchange, and coordination across diverse settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct an extensive literature review on transitional care navigation.
• To synthesize findings on current models and approaches to transitional care navigation.
• To provide insights into the state of transitional care navigation.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature search was performed using multiple search engines and specific keywords.
• Evidence integrity was ensured through a literature review matrix.
• Nursing literature from professional organizations and peer-reviewed journals was synthesized.

Main Results:

• Five systematic reviews (2016-2022) involving 105 studies were analyzed, identifying themes of care coordination, care transition, and patient navigation.
• Care coordination improved quality ratings, patient quality of life, and reduced hospitalizations and emergency visits.
• Transitional care interventions reduced admissions and visits post-intervention, while nurse navigators improved timeliness of cancer care.

Conclusions:

• Transitional care navigation attributes align with care coordination, transition, and patient navigation.
• A formal transitional care navigation model can address challenges in cross-setting communication and coordination.
• A multidisciplinary transitional care navigation model can close care gaps from hospital to home, improving patient compliance and outcomes.