Abstract
As our health care system transforms to meet our national objectives of the Affordable Care Act and our triple aim goals (improving quality of care to individuals, improving the health of communities, and reducing cost), care coordination and transition of men’s health care are vital components of health care reform. It is increasingly imperative that new models of care coordination incorporate coordination and transition management into the delivery of men’s health services. Men’s health should include comprehensive strategies that provide seamless care for men and their families. The coordination of care and management of care transition should occur within a culture of interprofessional collaboration.
The six guiding principles to establishing an informed and collaborative care coordination model of care are the following:
Awareness of the manner in which care coordination occurs in your men’s health care setting—this requires knowledge of your male population, their needs, and resources; tracking the man’s journey through the health care system; and understanding the men’s health transitional care infrastructure and interprofessional team of providers
Knowledge of the men’s health care providers—conducing an organizational assessment of care coordination and transition activities; providers roles and responsibilities across the male’s continuum of care
Relationship development at the microsystem and macrosystem level that creates a shared vision of care coordination along the men’s health continuum of care to include both internal and external men’s health stakeholders
Technology integration to improve health care provider productivity and workflow processes
Male patient and family engagement in care coordination and transition of care decision making processes
Interprofessional team member engagement (AONE & AACN, 2015).
Men’s health care coordination and transition of care management is consistent with the American Hospital Association’s goals of effectively deploying a competent and engaged workforce to deliver quality patient care, redesigning clinical care at the bedside or point of care with the promotion of interprofessional teams of providers, and the promotion of excellence in clinical work environments. As leaders in men’s health, care coordination and transition of care management are opportunities to further transform men’s health care services within the Affordable Care Act transformation (AHA, 2011).