Case 4: Streamlining Care and Reducing Clinical Risk
Authored by Leah Klusch, RN, BSN, FACHCA, Executive Director, The Alliance Training Center
Managing continence care in long-term care settings is a complex challenge. Incontinence treatment is among the highest expenses for providers, largely due to staffing shortages and the various regulatory and psychosocial factors involved. Addressing this complexity demands collaboration between operational and clinical teams, along with thorough assessments, retraining programs, and open communication with both seniors and staff. Ineffective management of incontinence can result in serious health complications, infections, and a decline in quality of life, cognitive function, and overall strength. Addressing this complexity demands collaboration between operational and clinical teams, along with thorough assessments, retraining programs, and open communication with seniors, families, and staff. Ineffective management of incontinence can result in serious health complications, infections, depression, and a decline in quality of life, cognitive function, and overall health.
Providers should adopt strategies to identify and address the key risk factors associated with managing incontinence. These include:
Incomplete Assessments at Admission: Comprehensive assessments that document voiding patterns and absorbent product usage are crucial for effective incontinence management. If these assessments are incomplete, it hampers care.
Lack of Documentation on Continence History: It’s essential to document the resident’s continence history prior to admission and include this information in care planning. Engaging all staff, residents, and their families in these discussions is vital.
Failure to Document Voiding Patterns: Not obtaining and recording voiding patterns, retraining programs, or other interventions upon admission can lead to adverse outcomes and emotional distress for residents.
Ignoring Associated Risks: Research has shown that incontinence is linked to various negative outcomes, including urinary tract infections (UTIs), falls, skin issues, depression, isolation, and inactivity. Addressing these risks is essential.
Insufficient Focus in Initial Care Plans: Initial care plans often overlook elimination patterns and the staff responsible for continence care. Changes in voiding patterns are common among seniors, especially those experiencing trauma, undergoing surgeries, or facing other acute care events. Additionally, documentation related to the initial care plan may be lacking.
Without a proper focus on elimination, facilities may experience increased care costs, regulatory risks, and heightened acuity levels shortly after admission, as negative outcomes can arise quickly.
eBrief™ Program: Reducing Risks and Streamlining Care Processes
Lowering Costs
When evaluating incontinence management programs, a lack of emphasis on assessments, data collection, and prompt intervention often leads to negative outcomes. These oversights not only increase the likelihood of survey citations—resulting in costly penalties for organizations—but also adversely affect residents’ functional outcomes. The eBrief Program addresses these issues by providing precise data on incontinent episodes, thereby reducing risk and encouraging effective actions. The program equips clinical leaders with real-time, accurate insights into the frequency of incontinence episodes and staff response times.
Enhancing Documentation Detail and Accuracy
Documenting care at the end of a shift is generally discouraged as it tends to yield the least accurate data. The eBrief Program allows staff to record incontinence episodes at the point of care, significantly improving data accuracy.
Providing More Individualized Clinical Interventions
Historically, a lack of understanding regarding voiding patterns and staff response times has hindered the development of customized toileting programs and care plans. The eBrief Program supplies essential data that enables nursing staff to make informed decisions based on facts rather than assumptions, allowing for more aggressive and effective care planning.
A Comprehensive Approach
Given the limitations of traditional incontinence management methods, it is crucial to create quality programs that address residents’ needs holistically. The eBrief Program facilitates the development of individualized toileting plans that consider each resident’s entire experience, rather than focusing on isolated incidents. It automatically documents staff performance and helps clinical managers evaluate care delivery, enabling proactive adjustments to toileting programs and product use.
Gaining Insights for Monitoring
Monitoring outcomes is a vital component of any intervention. The eBrief Program tracks overall incontinence outcomes, enabling clinical leaders to accurately assess the need for changes in care delivery while also highlighting successful programs. With robust documentation to support the implementation of interventions, the eBrief Program revolutionizes care by enhancing accuracy, promoting efficient delivery, and ultimately improving the overall quality of care.
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About etectRx:
etectRx is a leading digital health sensor platform company offering a unique combination of wireless sensor technology, intelligent software, and services through our novel eBurst technology. This technology supports remote monitoring of multiple health conditions – enhancing patient engagement and healthcare outcomes across stakeholders including patients, providers, and payers, by promoting accountability and awareness.