Safe Transitions for at Risk Patients (STAR) program for Turkey

Abstract

The older adult at high risk safety problem during transitions between care settings has become a huge public health problem. The care needs of this population are required to be assessed with a multifactorial approach due to increasing comorbidities, physical and physiological changes, environmental risks, social and lifestyle factors, and nutrition. Safe Transitions for at risk Patients (STAR) program has been developed to address patient’s safety problem of potentially preventable hospital readmissions among older adults who are at high risk for complications during transitions. There is a growing older population in Turkey which is in the process of demographic transition and it has to be taken steps toward to meet this challenge by building “Program Culture”. STAR program for Turkey, which aims at meeting future needs in the care of older patients at high risk, has been created by modifying STAR program. This adapted program has been prepared in accordance with health system requirements in Turkey. Testing of this patient-centered intervention can increase the quality of geriatric care while adverse outcomes and potentially preventable readmissions decrease and provide economic benefits.