OASIS education ensures accurate reimbursement
OASIS education ensures accurate reimbursement
Teach staff reasons for new items as well as technique
A different approach to teaching staff members how to use OASIS C [Outcome Assessment Information Set] may be the key to successful implementation and assurance of accurate reimbursement, says Greg Solecki, vice president of Henry Ford Home Health Care in Detroit.
Because people learn differently, Henry Ford staff are not going to rely only on mass inservice education classes to teach the new OASIS, says Solecki. "We have identified a group of experts who will be educated, then these experts will educate our front-end people, who will be responsible for educating new staff members," he explains. In addition to the small group sessions, the agency will remind staff members of OASIS tips of the day with e-mails, voice mail messages, and flyers, he adds. "We want to tell everyone multiple times in multiple ways," he explains.
The small groups will have no more than six employees with each expert, points out Solecki. "This will enable the expert to teach the ins and outs of OASIS in detail, and it will enable the expert to zero in on the staff members who need extra help," he says.
Not only is the setting for education different from typical inservices, but the approach is different, says Solecki. "We start by explaining the philosophy of OASIS," he says. Because most staff members don't look forward to learning a new way to complete OASIS and because it can be confusing, Henry Ford's educators will start the class by explaining that OASIS is the agency's opportunity to tell the patient's story, he says. "Even if we don't like it, this is the tool we must use to document every aspect of the patient's care, and it is our only option to tell an accurate story," he says. By making sure that staff members understand the importance of an accurate OASIS to reimbursement, it is easier to move on to the specific tasks needed to complete the OASIS, he adds.
Although this approach to staff education is not typical, it does fit within Henry Ford's culture, points out Solecki. "This will work for us, because we have an open, transparent relationship with our staff. We share clinical and financial information with them, and we promote an environment of respect for each other," he says. "Although the ultimate goal of effective OASIS education is financial well-being for the agency, it is important not to forget the people involved and to develop a program that respects their experience and abilities."
A different approach to teaching staff members how to use OASIS C [Outcome Assessment Information Set] may be the key to successful implementation and assurance of accurate reimbursement, says Greg Solecki, vice president of Henry Ford Home Health Care in Detroit.Subscribe Now for Access
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