Learn continuum of care policies to Macarena tune
An Ann Arbor, MI, home care agency has found a novel way to help staff memorize the continuum of care policies.
Staff at Huron Valley Visiting Nurses (HVVN) of Ann Arbor, MI, were taught the key continuum of care standards by a supervisor who danced each standard to the beat of the Macarena. This is the popular Latin American-flavored dance that Vice President Al Gore joked about at the Democratic National Convention last summer.
Several staff employees performed the Macarena on a video that was made to go over policies and procedures before a review by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) of Oakbrook Terrace, IL.
Here’s the script showing how you could tie the Macarena to continuum of care standards:
Huron Valley Visiting Nurses’ Continuum of Care Skit for Performance Improvement Video
Narrator:
Since we have been working day and night to get ready for our JCAHO survey, some of you might not have had time to learn the latest dance craze that is circling the globe: the Macarena! According to Karen Miranda, HVVN is always "in the forefront" whether we’re talking about the Continuum of Care (CC) or learning the Macarena. Here is Karen Miranda, and some others you might recognize during one of their practice sessions.
Karen:
All of us at HVVN have been working very hard, and I’ve heard that some of you may not have had time to learn the Macarena. It is the most popular dance in the world, so they say. Some might criticize us for dancing at work, so we’ll add another dimension learning about CC that will satisfy any critics.
First, let’s review key CC standards:
1. HVVN only admits patients whose identified care needs can be met by the services we provide.
2. Our processes (admission, scheduling, etc.) are planned to provide continuity among the various services we provide, taking into consideration the patient’s changing needs over time.
3. Our processes also are planned to respond if a patient needs another level of care (referral to another health care professional, transfer to another health care setting, or discharge).
4. HVVN has processes that ensure appropriate patient information is exchanged when the patient is admitted or referred, transferred, or discharged.
It just so happens that HVVN has six Policies for Continuum of Care, and there are six basic movements for the Macarena. We can put them all together. First, let’s review the basic Macarena movements, and then we can add our policies.
(Here, run through one set of the Macarena Have fun with it!)
Now, let’s take a break and review CC’s policies so we can put them all together:
1. Admission process: When a referral is made to the agency, we make sure we have staff that meet the patient’s care needs; the patient lives in an area we can serve; the patient and family want care; the home environment is safe for the patient and our staff, etc. We ensure all of this before the patient is admitted.
2. Verification of physician licensure: We verify that physicians who make referrals and direct home care are licensed.
3. Assignments and staffing: Clinical assignments and staffing are determined according to qualifications, experience, and competencies that will best meet the patient’s needs, care, and service required.
4. Care coordination process: HVVN coordinates care among all services involved in the patient’s care, including services provided directly by the agency, services provided by contract with another home care or hospice agency, and with other external health care organizations.
5. Referral process for rehab and for personal care and support services: The HVVN admitting nurse assesses and identifies the patient’s needs for Rehabilitation and Personal Care and Support Services and refers the patient to these services, as appropriate.
6. Discharge, transfer, and referral process:
HVVN patients are discharged, transferred, and referred based on written criteria and following a process of planning, preparing, and informing the patient and other organizations.
Now, let’s put it all together:
(Repeat name of each P/P with each movement:
hands out admission process
hands on shoulders verify MD license
hands at back of head clinical assignments & staffing
hands crossed at hips care coordination
hands at back referral process for rehab & personal care/support services
swivel and hop referral, transfer, and discharge process
repeat two or three times)
That was great! Now, let’s add the tools we use for CC. They are:
1. Patient Registration Form (it includes all pertinent information about a referral)
2. Communication Report (used to share patient information with the entire treatment team)
3. Shared Visit Report (completed by admitting nurse it summarizes patient care plan and is shared with on-call nurse and other visiting staff who will see that patient.)
4. Therapy Referral Form (used when any therapy is needed)
5. Interdisciplinary Care Coordination Conference (used when more than one agency service is required, or when an outside agency or health system’s services are contracted)
6. Discharge Summary (completed whenever a patient is discharged from our service)
Let’s see if these can be added to our dance:
(Repeat name of each tool with each movement:
hands out patient reg form we use em
hands on shoulders communication report we do em
hands at back of head shared visit report we like em
hands crossed at hips therapy referral report we want em
hands at back care coordination conference we make em
swivel and hop discharge summary we need em
repeat two or three times)
The last thing we need to share is the CC team’s process for improvement. The CC team is working on the Intake and Referral Process (everything from the first referral fax or telephone call to payor authorization to scheduling the admission visit).
You know, we’re getting so good at this Macarena, maybe everyone should do it. Whenever you come in to turn in paperwork, we can test your dance skills and CC knowledge . . . Maybe not.
(Start Macarena again and dance to fade out.)
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