CMs' role in a pandemic is to keep patients educated
CMs' role in a pandemic is to keep patients educated
Help them stay healthy and avoid exposure
Case managers can play a vital role in the event of a pandemic by educating their patients on how to stay healthy and avoid exposure to disease.
"Case managers are really instrumental in educating their patients. Their role in case of a pandemic is to educate and to promote wellness and good health habits, especially when there is no vaccine against a disease," says Connie Commander, RN-BC, BS, CCM, ABDA, CPUR, president of Commander's Premier Consulting Corp.
Commander has been a national speaker for a pharmaceutical company presenting training for case managers on how to prepare for a pandemic.
The first H1N1 influenza outbreak in the United States appeared to be mild, but it could be a warning that everyone should pay attention, she points out.
"This outbreak appears not to have had a high mortality rate, but that could occur if nobody has antibodies built up to this flu strain," she says.
If there is a pandemic, expect conditions to be similar to what happens when there is a major disaster, such as a hurricane or an earthquake, Commander says.
"A pandemic outbreak could shut down the infrastructure, just like a major natural disaster does. Schools and restaurants will be closed, and there may be shortages. For instance, if the truck drivers are sick, nobody will deliver food to the grocery store. The best thing case managers can do is to help people avoid getting ill in the first place," she says.
As case managers prepare their patients for discharge from the hospital, they have a golden opportunity to teach them how to avoid exposure to the flu or, at a minimum, lessen the symptoms if exposed, Commander adds.
Educate your patients on why the H1N1 influenza is different from other influenza and help them understand what they need to be prepared in case of an outbreak, she says.
Include common-sense precautions, such as frequent hand-washing, avoiding crowds, and seeing the doctor at the first sign of symptoms, she adds.
When people are exposed to the flu, they have a 48-hour window to get to the doctor and get an antiviral medication that won't prevent the flu but will lessen the symptoms, she says.
"When case managers are sending patients home, they should teach them how to stay well. For instance, even though family members may want to come to see Grandma now that she's out of the hospital, they shouldn't visit if they have any kind of flu-like symptoms," she says.
In another scenario, caution the parents of a baby who is being discharged from the NICU to limit visitors and to make sure no one who comes close to the baby is experiencing any flu-like symptoms, she adds.
Employees should follow directions
Make sure your fellow employees follow recommended hand-washing techniques, disposal of tissues, sneezing protocols, as well as maintaining personal space and other infectious disease precautions, Commander suggests.
Urge them to stay home if they don't feel well and do the same yourself, she adds.
Take your own advice, adds Catherine M. Mullahy, RN, BS, CRRN, CCM, president and founder of Mullahy & Associates, a case management training and consulting company.
"Since hospital case managers are not hands-on providers, they're not as likely to be at risk from exposure to hospitalized patients as nurses who give bedside care. However, they do need to take precautions and stay home when they are sick and avoid crowds if there is a major outbreak of the flu," she adds.
Keep up to date with the latest information through professional organizations or bulletins issued by public health entities such as the health department or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and share it with your patients, she suggests.
"Make sure that whatever information you give your patients is valid and in line with evidence-based practice," she says.
(For more information, contact Connie Commander, RN, BS, CCM, ABDA, CPUR, President, Commander's Premier Consulting Corp., e-mail: [email protected]; Catherine M. Mullahy, RN, BS, CRRN, CCM, President and Founder, Mullahy & Associates, e-mail: [email protected].)
Case managers can play a vital role in the event of a pandemic by educating their patients on how to stay healthy and avoid exposure to disease.Subscribe Now for Access
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