Discharge from the hospital is a critical transition point in a patient’s care and incomplete handoffs at discharge can lead to adverse events for patients and result in avoidable readmission.

The Society of Hospital Medicine’s Hospital Quality and Patient Safety committee developed a comprehensive checklist of the processes and elements considered necessary for optimal patient handoff at hospital discharge. This checklist focused on medication safety, patient education, and follow-up plans.

Standardising the elements of the discharge process may help to address the gaps in quality and safety that occur when older patients transition from the hospital to an outpatient setting. The ?nal checklist was endorsed by the Society of Hospital Medicine.