Hospital Home Health articles from April 2003

Hospital Home Health archives from April 2003

Take this patient ... now! Avoid the pitfalls of hospital-affiliated referrals: education and communication reduce inappropriate referrals.
April 1, 2003... (Editor's note: Due to the delicate nature of some of the information in this article, many of the sources quoted agreed to share their comments only on the condition of anonymity.) "You have to take this referral." How many times have...

Benchmark program sees improved infection rates: data encourage information exchange.
April 1, 2003... Preventing, diagnosing, and treating infections in home care patients require careful surveillance and a high level of awareness of infection control on the part of a home health nurse. You may think your agency is doing a good job of...

Is your caregiver starting to experience burnout? Support family with education and intervention.
April 1, 2003... (Editor's note: This is the first of a two-part series that looks at family caregiver issues such as education, stress, burnout, and support. In this article, experts talk about the educational needs of family caregivers and how a home health...

Asking questions: assess a caregivers' burnout.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Paying attention to a myriad of small signs in both the caregiver's and the patient's behavior can alert the home health nurse to a need for intervention, says Nancy Stallings, MAM, program manager for caregiver support for Salt Lake County...

Know HIPAA's definition of business associates. (HIPAA Q & A).
April 1, 2003... [Editor's note: This is a periodic column that will address specific questions related to Health Insurance Portability and Accountability (HIPAA) implementation. If you have questions, please send them to Sheryl Jackson, Hospital Home Health,...

Medicaid changes may affect nursing ethics. (LegalEase: understanding laws, rules, regulations).
April 1, 2003... (Editor's note: This is the second of a two-part LegalEase column that addresses home health agency concerns related to changes in state Medicaid programs. This column looks at nursing implications and violation of ethical principles. Last...

CE questions.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... 1. According to a Midwest home health agency manager, what is the most common problem that creates an inappropriate referral? A. lack of insurance coverage B. too much detailed information in the referral C. no physician signature...

CMS reports home health claims problem.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... A problem in the Medicare claims processing systems of the Palmetto, Cahaba, and UGS Regional Home Health Intermediaries (RHHI) is preventing the appropriate processing of some home health prospective payment system (PPS) claims that include...

Random unannounced survey topics identified.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... In a random unannounced survey (RUS) by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations in Oakbrook Terrace, IL, surveyors review fixed and variable performance areas, along with the variable topics based upon the...