Just like passing the baton in a team relay race, hospital discharges to the patient’s home can be tricky handoffs.  In 2003 study reported in the Annals of Internal Medicine, 47 of 76 patients who experienced adverse drug events (out of 400 discharges), could have been prevented or better managed.  Most of the problems arose from medication interactions and poor communication between the discharge managers and the patient’s private physician or caregiver.  In some instances, patients were discharged while their test results were still pending. Little has changed since 2003. The American College of Physicians and the Joint Commission are setting guidelines aimed at safer discharges that result in fewer readmissions, particularly for Medicare patients now that CMS won’t cover avoidable revolving door deficiencies.      MORE