OASIS-Central

The following are best practice guidelines for the screening and assessment of flu or pneumococcal pneumonia in homecare patients:

• Starting in September, have your flu champion implement a training program that will instruct clinicians to educate patients about the importance of the flu vaccine. Be sure clinicians understand that many patients will refuse immunization due to lack of information or misconceptions. Educate them about the importance of immunization in reducing avoidable acute care hospitalizations.

• Know who the “vulnerable populations” are where the risk of flu and pneumococcal pneumonia are increased.

• Provide patients with packets of materials filled with information about avoiding crowded places, the benefits of frequent hand washing, and other precautions that prevent exposure to flu or pneumococcal pneumonia. Define how you will ensure that current patients on service will receive this information so no one is left out.

• Utilizing the materials provided, staff can encourage patients to obtain vaccinations, especially those in vulnerable populations—the elderly, the immunocompromised, and those patients with chronic illnesses. Identify those current patients on service who are in the vulnerable populations. During team meetings in early October, review these patients and determine whether they have received patient teaching materials. Review and document that patients have received these materials. Review where this information will be recorded in the documentation.

• Design a tracking system to maintain a list of those patients who want to be immunized (without contraindications), their plan for immunization, and a method to track receipt of the vaccinations. This will ensure that patients who want to be vaccinated will not fall through the cracks. (Immunization toolkit at http://www.qualitynet.org/dcs/ContentServer?cid=1182785164008&pagename=Medqic%2FMQTools%2FToolTemplate&c=MQtools.)

• Provide clinicians with symptom assessment materials to review with their patients on a regular basis throughout the flu or pneumococcal pneumonia season.

• Require symptom screening and assessment at regular visit intervals (to be determined by the agency) by the clinician.

• Provide patients with information about symptoms and information about when to contact their homecare clinician or physician about the onset of the symptoms.

• Train clinicians to document screening for symptoms and assessment of any symptoms in the medical record for the visit.

This is an excerpt from the NEW book, OASIS-C Process Measures: A Program for Best Practices Implementation, by April Perry, RN, APN, MEd, Laurie Salmons, RN, BSN, and Bobi Rose, RN, BSN, CWCN, CCCN. Learn more about the book here.