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The delta variant wave of COVID-19 has led to signs of compassion fatigue among healthcare workers. Patients appear angrier, and the anti-vaccine misinformation is contributing to provider frustration and stress.
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While many departments and practices within the medical field might entertain a shift toward a more family-centered care model, no place exhibits this more than neonatal intensive care units and pediatric intensive care units. Care for these patients must include family, and so differs somewhat from case management in adult populations.
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For many healthcare systems, a hospital at home program was a necessity born out of COVID-19. At Indiana University Health, a program that allowed patients to continue treatment and recovery at home after discharge had been discussed before the pandemic, but never put into action. That changed when the pandemic started. They went forward with the program, knowing it was the right time to try it.
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Nurses who were patients or caregivers overwhelmingly said they felt the need to intervene in care, a new study revealed. More than 82% of nurses surveyed said they had been either a patient or a caregiver to a patient with a serious medical condition. Ninety-six percent said they felt the need to intervene based on their medical knowledge.
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Early engagement with injured workers is necessary to improve education and communication, prevent problems, and to facilitate collaboration between patient and case manager. One important tactic in dealing with workers’ compensation cases and building trust is to empower the patient by providing educational resources and explaining why certain interventions are needed.
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Recent research suggests new transitional care interventions are needed to improve physical and mental functioning after discharge for patients with dementia. Physical interventions target orthostatic tolerance, ambulation, and activities of daily living while cognitive interventions target sensory intervention, sleep, and communication.
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As with many other unfunded federal mandates, interpretation services in hospitals face a variety of resource challenges, including insufficient staff training, too few interpreters, and cumbersome technological solutions. To surmount communication barriers, case managers and other healthcare professionals should pay attention to language access, such as interpreters and translations, usable health information (which is eliminating medical jargon), and cultural humility.
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As the United States becomes more diverse, healthcare facilities treat more patients with limited English proficiency. This highlights the need for more effective interpreter services, especially at discharge. Care coordination and transitions could improve if health systems provide more consistent and adequate interpretation help to patients with limited English proficiency, research shows.
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For patients and families, a combination ED-ICU means avoiding costly ICU admissions that do not align with care goals. For health systems, it means alleviating ICU capacity strain.
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Team training — on communication skills, monitoring patients, and sharing information while the patient still is in the ED — can ensure the correct tests are ordered and acted on.
