Home Health Quality Improvement Campaign
September is
National Cholesterol Education Month

Cholesterol management is essential to reduce risk factors for heart attacks and strokes. Seventy-one million American adults have high cholesterol, but only one-third control their cholesterol levels.

 

It is important to teach our patients, staff, and their families about managing their cholesterol levels. Below are four lifestyle changes that can help.

 

  • Eat a healthy diet. Avoid saturated fats and trans fats, use polyunsaturated fats, and increase fiber. Watch for next week's blog by Karen Sandusky, RDN, on "Nutritional Education in the Homecare Setting"
  • Exercise regularly. Perform moderate-intensity for 2 hours a week for adults. Assist older patients with selecting exercises that is appropriate for their functional limitations. Look for an upcoming blog on exercise and physical activity for older people.
  • Maintain a healthy weight.
  • Stop smoking as soon as possible.

Also emphasize the importance of following the primary practitioner's advice, adherence to medications (if ordered), and obtaining labs as ordered for cholesterol management.

 

Visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website for more information.

 

HHQI Salutes Home Health Cardiovascular Pioneers

Since July, nearly 200 home health agencies have taken a huge step toward preventing heart attacks and strokes among their patients by signing up for HHQI's groundbreaking Home Health Cardiovascular Data Registry (HHCDR).

  

In addition to receiving the new monthly Cardiovascular Risk Reports automatically generated from their OASIS-C transmissions, these agencies will also receive the new monthly Cardiovascular Data Registry Report starting in October 2013. This report is particularly unique and has tremendous potential because it is the first and only cardiovascular health data report of its kind.

  

By providing a few additional pieces of patient information readily available at the time of discharge, agencies will be able to use this new report to clearly identify specific opportunities to improve preventive cardiovascular care and then see the impact of their improvement efforts in subsequent monthly reports.

 

  

There's still time for your agency to join this extraordinary group of Home Health Cardiovascular Pioneers! Visit the HHQI website now to learn more or to sign up for the HHCDR.
  
If you do so before November 1, you'll receive premium benefits such as:
  • An exclusive Cardiovascular Pioneer logo to use in your marketing materials
  • A customizable press release to promote your efforts to prevent heart attacks and strokes
  • Recognition on the HHQI website
  • Access to free monthly teleconferences with the HHQI team and other Cardiovascular Pioneers to ask and answer questions and provide registry support

Million Hearts�: Looking for Hypertension Control Champions

 

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Now through September 30, 2013

 

The number of Americans who have high blood pressure has increased dramatically in the past decade, and nearly 1,000 people die each day in the United States as a result of high blood pressure-related illnesses.

  

The latest data show that nearly 1 in 3 American adults-67 million-have high blood pressure. More than half of those with high blood pressure-36 million-don't have it under control, even though many have insurance, are being treated with medicine, and have seen a doctor at least twice in the past year.

   

Many health care practices and systems have succeeded in working with their patients to get blood pressure under control. In 2012, Million Hearts� recognized Kaiser Permanente Colorado and Ellsworth Medical Clinic in Wisconsin as Hypertension Control Champions for their success in achieving greater than 80 percent control among their patient populations with high blood pressure.

 

This year, we want to recognize even more Champions. Clinicians, practices, and health systems that provide primary care and have achieved hypertension control rates greater than 70 percent are eligible to enter. Submit your nomination or encourage high-performing, small and large practices to enter the 2013 Million Hearts� Hypertension Control Challenge.

 

Partner Spotlight:

 

SWC Member Contributes

to Home Healthcare Nurse 

  

The integration of health literacy and patient engagement is key to the success of patient self-management. HHQI Stakeholder Work Committee member Paula Suter, BSN, MA recently co-authored an insightful column on this topic with her colleague Bethany Hennessy, BSN, MSN. The piece entitled "Connecting Health Literacy and Patient Engagement: A Priority for Community Providers" was featured in the VNAA's Voice column in the September 2013 edition of Home Healthcare Nurse.

 

Patient engagement is essential to improve care, reduce costs, and improve patient satisfaction. Hospitalized patients have different issues and barriers that can get into the way of engagement which need healthcare providers to assist with resolving barriers. A frequent key barrier is health literacy.

 

Patient engagement typically includes patient handouts or tools. Are all your tools health literate? Paula provides insight in how Sutter Center for Integrated Care, Sutter Care at Home added staff competencies and re-evaluated the organization's patient tools.

 

Paula M. Suter, BSN, MA, CCP is the Clinical Director for Sutter Care for Integrated Care, Sutter Care at Home in Fairfield, California, and a volunteer member of HHQI's Stakeholder Work Committee.

 

Reference: Suter, P.M., Hennessey, B. (2013) Connecting Health Literacy and Patient Engagement: A Priority for Community Providers. Home Healthcare Nurse. 31(8).

New Podcast Available Now

 

You can now download a new HHQI podcast (audio recording) discussing Cardiovascular Health that complements our new Best Practice Intervention Package (BPIP) focused on appropriate aspirin therapy and blood pressure control.

  

Additional audio resources are available from our partners at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI).
In this Issue
National Cholesterol Education Month
Cardiovascular Pioneers
Looking for Hypertension Control Champions
SWC Partner Spotlight
Important Upcoming Dates
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September 20
  
September 25
  
September 26
  
October 3
Network Coordinator Teleconference
  
October 7
Home Health Cardiac Council Teleconference

  

  

UPcoming Webinar:

 

September 25, 2013

 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM (EDT)

 

Community Mental Health on Wheels

  

Learn to maximize mental health services in home health to address many barriers for the Underserved, including Psychiatric Bridge Program Grant Services at VNA of Ohio.

 

Speakers:

 

Amy Silbaugh

Manager

Mental Health Services

VNA of Ohio

 

Gary Mahoney

Psychiatric Bridge Program Mental Health Services

VNA of Ohio

 

 Click here to register.

 

Inspire Others with your success

Has your agency implemented changes to help improve the cardiovascular health of your patients or your staff? We'd love to help you inspire others with your success.

 

Our second Best Practice Intervention Package (BPIP) focused on cardiovascular health will be released on November 1. In this BPIP, we will address cholesterol management and smoking cessation, and your success story will add tremendous value. Those related to aspirin therapy and blood pressure control are also encouraged to complement our recently released Cardiovascular Health Part 1 BPIP.

 

Please contact us today at [email protected] to schedule an interview with our team.

Partner Resource Spotlight:
  Free ePresentations
Champ logo

Visit CHAMP's website for expert presentations on relevant topics including:

  • Improving Communication with Physicians
  • Developing Strong Home Care Teams
  • Considerations in Geriatric Medication Management
  • Helping Patients Adhere
  • Clinical Coaching with CHAMP Tools
Remember to
Go for the Gold!

 

We offer a wide variety of evidence-based educational tools and resources known as Best Practice Intervention Packages (BPIPs) to help you improve the quality of care you provide. Our resources contain useful information for home health nurses, medical social workers, therapists and aides. Many are also applicable across health care settings beyond home health, including providers in the hospital, physician office and long term care settings.

 

Downloading all HHQI Phase 3 BPIPs is your ticket to earning an exclusive HHQI Gold Medal insignia in 2014 as part of our Go for the Gold! incentive. Learn more.

Free Nursing Education
 Continuing
Education
Contact Hours
  
Below are a couple of free quality sites for free nursing education that is approved by American Nurses Credentialing Center's (ANCC) Commission on Accreditation.
  
Medpage Today provides Nursing contact hours in addition to CMEs with current research material. Register and sign up for alerts or search for available sessions.
  

NURSE.com provides Nursing contact hours including a long list of free online education and free webinars.

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