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Special Report: Pandemic Response and Preparedness
Family planning clinics and contraceptive providers have had to search for creative ways to stay open and continue providing services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Contraceptive Technology Update interviewed seven family panning providers in this Q&A special report.
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Safely Screen Patients for Intimate Partner Violence During Telehealth Visits
As telehealth visits play an important role in family planning during the pandemic, providers should be aware their patients might be closely monitored by their partners, especially in cases of intimate partner violence. Abusers might check the woman’s phone messages, digital communication, and apps with messaging.
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Chief Reasons Domestic Violence Is Increasing
Pandemics, economic recessions, natural disasters, and other crises can lead to increases in intimate partner violence or domestic violence for a variety of reasons. Women and children are particularly vulnerable when disasters such as COVID-19 strike.
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With Domestic Violence Increasing, Family Planning Providers Should Screen for Signs
Recent research suggests domestic violence may be increasing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Family planning clinics will need creative techniques to screen for signs as many visits continue through telehealth.
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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.
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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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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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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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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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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.