3-Item Care Transition Measure (CTM-3)

Identifying Attributes

Care Settings
Care Transitions
Country
United States of America
Publishing Organisation
National Quality Forum
Type of Quality Indicator
Outcome
IOM Quality Dimension
Person-Centredness
Domain
Consumer Experience

Defining Attributes

Definition

Hospital level measure of performance that reports the average patient reported quality of preparation for self-care response among adult patients discharged from general acute care hospitals within the past 30 days.

Numerator

The hospital level sum of CTM-3 scores for all eligible sampled patients. 1. The hospital staff took my preferences and those of my family or caregiver into account in deciding what my health care needs would be when I left the hospital. Strongly Disagree/ Disagree/ Agree/ Strongly Agree/ Don't Know,Don't Remember,Not Applicable 2. When I left the hospital, I had a good understanding of the things I was responsible for in managing my health. Strongly Disagree/ Disagree/ Agree/ Strongly Agree/ Don't Know,Don't Remember,Not Applicable 3. When I left the hospital, I clearly understood the purpose for taking each of my medications. Strongly Disagree/ Disagree/ Agree/ Strongly Agree/ Don't Know,Don't Remember,Not Applicable

Denominator

The number of eligible sampled adult patients discharged from a general acute care hospital.

Exclusions
Use of Risk Adjustment
No
Risk Adjustments

None

Stratifications

None

Data Attributes

Type of Data Collection
Surveys
Data Collection Methods

Instrument-Based Data

Frequency of Data Collection
Frequency of Data Collection in Days
Reporting Methods

Measure Retired and Endorsement Removed 04.02.2016

Reporting Frequency
Reporting Frequency in Days
Indicator Has Recommended Targets
No

Source and Reference Attributes

Evidence Source

www.qualityforum.org/QPS/0228 National Quality Forum: Emergency Department Transitions of Care: A Quality Measurement Framework ciesandiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/National-Quality-Forum-Emergency-Department-Transitions-of-Care.pdf

Technical Specifications
Link to Measurement Tools

The CTM-3 is a three-question instrument that evaluates three key domains related to transitions of care: whether patient and family’s preferences were accounted for in the care plan, whether patients understood their role in self-management after discharge, and whether appropriate medication education was provided. Higher scores on the CTM-3 reflect higher quality transitions of care

Quality Indicator Confirmed to be Part of a Program Used to Monitor Quality and Safety of Care Among Older People at a Population-Level between 2012-2022
No
Assessed by the Australian Consortium for Aged Care Collaborators as Generally Containing Good Properties (Importance and Scientific Acceptability)
No
Australian Consortium for Aged Care Endorsed
No
Identified by PHARMA-Care Project
No
Upload Date
23 July 2025