Situation:
Patients coming into your HCO to have tests/exams will interact with many professionals throughout their care. With the multiple exams and tests that may be run, the patient encounters doctors, nurses, and CSS personnel (lab, x-ray, ultrasound, respiratory therapy, cardiac care, etc.).
Coordinating all these tests/exams has become an issue. With so many personnel involved, it has become difficult to assure that tests/exams are done in the right order and avoiding the situation where completing one test/exam results in another one not being diagnostic.
Patient surveys show dissatisfaction with services. Patients complain about having to wait for exams because systems are not coordinated leading to poor patient care and even emergency situations.
Put yourself in an administrator role and answer the following:
1. a) How will your HCO address this situation? b) What policies/procedures could you put in place to assure patient care is coordinated to assure good outcomes?
2. a) What roles do the individual Clinical Support Services personnel have to avoid patient care issues? (this is not doctors and nurses, it’s the other professionals who care for patients, such as lab, x-ray, pharmacy, etc.)
b) What roles do the physicians/nurses have to avoid patient care issues?