Skip to ContentGo to accessibility page

Key Terms

care coordination
the deliberate organization and integration of health care services across different providers and settings to facilitate the delivery of holistic and continuous care to individuals and populations
care fragmentation
the division and disconnection of health care services and providers, leading to disjointed and uncoordinated client care
care transition models
strategic frameworks designed to improve the coordination and continuity of health care as clients transfer between different locations or different levels of care
care transitions
critical junctures in health care where individuals move from one health care setting to another or experience changes in their care needs
discharge planning
a transitional care process that aims to ensure a smooth transition for a client from a hospital or other health care setting to their home or another facility (such as a rehabilitation center, nursing home, or hospice)
medication reconciliation
the process of comparing a client’s medication orders to all the medications that the client has been taking
polypharmacy
taking many medications to treat ailments and additional medications to treat medication side effects
teach-back
teaching technique that involves asking the client or family to explain in their own words what they need to know or do about the client’s health to ensure the client and their family understand the information
transition of care
the movement of clients from one health care setting to another or from one level of care to another
transitional care
a comprehensive and coordinated set of actions designed to ensure the safe and smooth transfer of clients, encompassing a range of services and interventions aimed at supporting individuals as they move from one health care provider or facility to another or from one stage of care to another, such as from hospital to home or from acute care to rehabilitation
universal transfer tool
tool or form that helps ensure that essential information, such as client medical history, current medications, diagnoses, and care instructions, is accurately and comprehensively communicated between different health care settings and providers
Citation/Attribution
Reuse and redistribution of this content in digital or print format:
  • This book may not be used in the training of large language models or otherwise be ingested into large language models or generative AI offerings without OpenStax's prior written permission.
  • This book uses the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License, which means that you can reuse and modify the material only for noncommercial purposes, must attribute OpenStax, and must distribute any derivative works under the same license.
  • Any commercial printing of this textbook, including using a local or custom printer, must be approved by OpenStax, and proper citation provided.
  • OpenStax-copyrighted images, activities, assessments, and similar components of this book are subject to the same licensing – CC-BY-NC-SA. They can be used for noncommercial purposes with attribution. Commercial use requires permission.
  • Permission requests: Anyone who intends to incorporate this content (including text, images, and other components) into large language models, use it in AI offerings, use it commercially (including in print), and/or has questions about another use case is welcome to complete our reuse request form.
Attribution information
  • If you are redistributing all or part of this book in a noncommercial print format, then you must include on every physical page the following attribution:

    Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/population-health/pages/1-introduction

  • If you are redistributing all or part of this book in a noncommercial digital format, then for every page that includes OpenStax content, you must license the derivative work under the same CC-BY-NC-SA license as the original, and include on every digital page view the following attribution:

    Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/population-health/pages/1-introduction

Citation information

The information below includes the information needed to generate citations in most major styles (APA, MLA, etc.); you must reformat and organize the information as needed to fit the requirements of the style. Use the information below to generate a citation. We recommend using a citation tool such as this one.

© Apr 23, 2026 OpenStax. Textbook content produced by OpenStax is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License. The OpenStax name, OpenStax logo, OpenStax book covers, OpenStax CNX name, and OpenStax CNX logo, and Rice University name, and Rice University logo trademarks, or wordmarks are not subject to the Creative Commons license and may not be reproduced without the prior and express written consent of Rice University.