Hospital Case Management – November 1, 2020
November 1, 2020
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Case Managers Can Guide Patients with COVID-19 to Rehab Services
After days, weeks, or even months of hospitalization with COVID-19, patients often need considerable help with their post-discharge recovery. This is especially true for people who need pulmonary, brain injury, or cardiac rehabilitation. Hospital case managers can help patients recover by educating them about various rehabilitation services.
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COVID-19 Can Cause Neurological Symptoms and Strokes in Patients
One major health problem related to COVID-19 involves neurological symptoms and signs of brain injury. Patients with COVID-19 can experience acute periods of confusion, post-traumatic amnesia, and delirium. Physicians and researchers do not know what will happen to patients with COVID-19 over the long term and whether they will fully regain their prior cognitive status.
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Look for Undocumented Social Determinants of Health in Patient Charts
One conundrum for hospital case managers involves identifying patients’ social determinants of health needs when the hospital record does not list all these data. The visible data could be missing critical factors related to why patients are returning to emergency departments or are not taking their medications.
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Medical Records in the COVID-19 Era: Renewing the Case for Interoperability
The problems of electronic medical records (EMRs) have been all too real during this pandemic. Patients with life-threatening COVID-19 symptoms have gone to hospitals without family or friends. They may not recall critical details of their medical history, including medications. At the crux of this crisis is the patient’s EMR, which holds important details that help providers make treatment decisions. Too often in hospitals, healthcare providers cannot access all these records, which is frustrating for everyone.
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Kaizen Method Can Improve Case Management
Efficiency and cost savings are worthy goals. Satisfaction also is relevant, whether applied to patients, frontline staff, managers, or chief executive officers. If your hospital workday is inefficient, satisfaction suffers at all levels. That is where the Kaizen method can help.
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Engage Staff When Training or Implementing New Programs
Quality improvement professionals often must train staff in new processes or initiatives, but the effectiveness of those sessions can depend on the approach. A simple meeting with a PowerPoint presentation may not be the best way to get good results. The best results will come when the participants feel involved with the effort and want to help reach the desired goal.