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Tip of the Week Enabling Patients to Participate in Self-Care Activities After Transferring From the Hospital to the Home: A Review With Video
The Care Transitions Intervention (CTI) is a patient-centered intervention designed to improve quality for patients with complex care needs as they transition across settings. Because patients and their caregivers are often the only common thread across settings, they are ideally suited for an intervention designed to improve the quality of transitional care.
During the 30-day CTI, patients receive specialized tools and learn self-management skills to ensure that their needs will be met when they receive care across multiple settings. Patients who have received the intervention experienced improved self-management knowledge and skills, primarily in the areas of medication management, condition/disease management and confidence about what was required of them during the immediate transition and subsequent transitions.
Although national efforts call for greater integration of health care delivery and a more patient-centered focus in care, major changes are not imminent. It is critical that patients, providers and health care organizations collaborate to improve care within the existing constraints of the U.S. health care system. With its focus on patient-centered care and continuity across healthcare settings, the CTI addresses the serious quality and safety deficiencies that occur during care transitions and may reduce the rate of subsequent hospital readmissions.
Nurses can earn .5 contact hours after successfully completing the evaluation. Read more (Medscape registration required) >>
Medicare Enrollment Application Updated
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) revised the Medicare enrollment applications (CMS-855) in February 2008. The previous version will be accepted through June 2008; however, providers are encouraged to start using the updated application immediately. An electronic copy of CMS-855 is available from the CMS Web site.
Resource Spotlight
New Home Health "Polish Your Practice" and Clinical Review Tools Added at MedQIC
Quality Basics for Providers: Register Now for July 8 Presentation
The "Applying Lean Methodologies to Improve Clinical Workflow Processes" webinar will discuss how how Lean tenets apply to overall organizational quality improvements, such identifying process inefficiencies and other workflow "wastes." Sample materials will be shared as well as steps for creating a Lean workshop. Registration is now open online. |
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Extra Tip
Patient Action Plans: Promote Self-Management Among Your Patients
The effective and collaborative use of a patient action plan is an effective tool toward establishing better self-management for patients. Three sample plans are included in the Patient Self-Management Best Practice Intervention Package posted on MedQIC. Action plan PDF downloads include Spanish and Chinese versions.
Missouri Home Care in Rolla, Mo., has initiated a patient self-management project. Quality Improvement Manager and Educator Karen Weber, RN, BSN, reports, "This was important to us because we often hear from staff, 'the patient wants to [quit smoking or exercise] and how do we help with that?'
"We are currently trying out 'My Action Plan' [page 65 of the Patient Self-Management BPIP]," Weber continues. "We find that trying a new tool with a small group is effective, and after successfully implementing it, we will then expand to all staff." |
In the News
New Guide Helps Patients on Coumadin/Warfarin Therapy
This 20-page patient brochure explains what patients should expect and watch out for while undergoing Coumadin or warfarin therapy. The brochure also describes the medication therapy and potentially dangerous side effects, explains how to communicate effectively with health care providers and provides tips for lifestyle modifications. Read more here >>
Latest results of the Premier Hospital Quality Incentive Demonstration (HQID) show dramatic across-the-board improvement in the performance of participating hospitals. Launched in October 2003 by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Premier Inc. Healthcare Alliance, HQID involves about 250 hospitals in 36 states.
The demonstration tests new payment systems under Medicare that would improve the safety, quality and efficiency of care delivered in the nation's hospitals. The outcomes from the third year of this demonstration provide yet even more evidence that paying for performance in health care in these innovative Value-Based Purchasing initiatives can dramatically improve the quality of health care delivered to hospital patients. Read more >>Noisy Health Care Settings Interfere with Communication and Can Boost Patient Stress According to researchers, excessive noise can create adverse effects in many health care environments. Learn potential strategies to contain noise at acceptable levels. Nurses can earn .5 nursing contact hours after successfully completing the evaluation. Read more (Medscape registration required) >> Could Cranberry Juice Prevent UTIs in Elderly Patients?
Research backs up the widespread use of cranberry to prevent urinary tract infections, but should you use it with your elderly patients? Nurses can earn .25 nursing contact hours after successfully completing the evaluation. Read more (Medscape registration required) >> |
