Hospital
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The Struggle to Immunize Long-Term Care Staff
Almost two-thirds of healthcare workers in thousands of skilled nursing facilities have turned down the COVID-19 vaccine, even though the mortality rates of long-term care residents are among the highest of any population. Historically, long-term care workers have shunned influenza vaccinations, citing skepticism about the vaccine’s efficacy or that they do not get the flu. The COVID-19 vaccine raises its own set of suspicions. -
Safety Protocol Can Prevent Self-Harm Incidents
Patients often present to the ED with behavioral health concerns, but psychiatric experts recognize the environment is hardly optimal for easing anxiety or calming a troubled mind. Further, patients with psychiatric concerns often wait in the ED for extended periods before they are connected with appropriate care, a time that can be fraught with danger for individuals at risk for self-harm. Recognizing the safety challenges at issue, a multidisciplinary team at Massachusetts General Hospital developed and implemented a protocol aimed at protecting such patients. -
Hospital Reduces HAPI Rate by Half with Huddles, Rounds
A hospital that had struggled to reduce hospital-acquired pressure injuries (HAPIs) has found success with an approach that emphasizes empowering frontline staff and consistent, structured huddles. After one year, the culture has changed, and HAPIs have been cut by 50%.
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Tips to Improve Relationships with Patients Over the Phone
Phone communications jumped in importance over the past year of the pandemic, but there are tactics case managers can use to improve their technique and build rapport with patients or clients over the phone. One tip is to listen for audible clues about the person’s mood and energy level.
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Shared Decision-Making Also Can Work with Patients’ Guardians
Patients often lack the cognitive capacity to make their own decisions. In those cases, a family member or another person might be legally appointed medical power of attorney or guardian.
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Tips for Coaching Patients to Talk with Doctors
Many patients find it challenging to speak with their physicians and ask questions. Case managers can serve as a go-between for patients and as an interpreter, teaching patients how to make the most of these doctor-patient encounters. -
Develop Best Practices for Shared Decision-Making
Case managers are learning more about how to include patients in their care transitions, as part of shared decision-making. The first step in shared decision-making is to assess the patient’s situation, followed by educating the patient about all facets of their self-care and health management. -
Hospital at Home Model Benefits from Traditional QI Approach
The Hospital at Home care model is gaining favor with hospitals and health systems as a way to provide hospital-level care in a patient’s home while lowering costs by almost one-third and reducing complications. The approach is receiving more attention now as a way to avoid asking patients to come to the hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Keeping an Eye on Mental Health
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that nearly 20% of U.S. adults were living with a mental illness in 2019 — and that percentage shockingly doubled to 40% in 2020. For young adults in particular, the rate of suicidal thoughts rose to an alarming 25%. Since hospital case managers typically have a front-row view of what is happening in the healthcare world, they no doubt have seen these statistics firsthand.
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Technology Can Help Patients with Self-Care of Pain
Patients experiencing chronic pain could improve their self-care by using a novel, digital pain management tool, according to the results of a recent study. The Manage My Pain app was part of a study that included chronic pain participants in both urban and rural pain clinics. Researchers wanted to find out if the app would help with patient care during the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown in which in-person patient visits dropped to a small percentage overnight.