Open Forum

Good afternoon, 

 The Endoscopy RN's here call the patient 7 days prior to procedure to review instructions and identify challenges/ make cancellations. From an operational standpoint, a call made 14 days prior would allow us to then book into those cancelled slots. I worry that 14 days out is not beneficial to the patient to retain the information. 

Please share your process.

Thank you, 

Monica Mount 

------------------------------
Monica Mount DNP, RN, NEA-BC
Program Development Manager
BWPO - Harbor Medical Associates
(617)905-5418
------------------------------

Thank you for having an RN make that call! That has not been my personal experience. 

I do not have a process to share, but do agree with you----from the patient's perspective 14 days is too long a time to not only retain information but to assure that they will not have to cancel.

------------------------------
Leslie McDowell ANP-BC DNP RN
QI Specialist / Curriculum Developer
Northwest AHEC / Wake Forest University School of Medicine
Winston Salem NC
(336)972-7852
ANP-BC DNP RN
------------------------------

Hi, 

Interestingly, I used to manage a colonoscopy referral program and just had personal experience with my husband using the service.  I would agree that 14d out is a long time for a patient to retain information. As well, our program had clerical make the calls (we previously had an RN - but lost the funding).  Our clerical had a checklist to cover with expected follow up by a clinical person in the endoscopists' office.  This does not always happen - as an example, my husband is diabetic - I asked him on the day of his procedure if he had been given any instructions about holding his diabetic meds - he had not - I recommended that he do that - and good thing as the scope may have been cancelled.  All this to say that, as you know, patients are anxious and not always listening to the instructions (he did receive written directions as well).  Ensuring they get the information goes a long way to keeping to a schedule, reducing anxiety, keeping them safe.  Happy to share any information you might be interested in.   

------------------------------
Barbara-Anne Maier
Director, Clinical Operations Carechart and CAREpath
Bayshore Healthcare
Guelph ON
437-324-7482
------------------------------

I would imaging that the front desk folks could call 14 days out just as a reminder for the appointment and rebooking as needed. That way you would have enough time to re-fill that slot. The 7 day call could be reserved for the nurse to give instructions that could certainly be retained. I had my procedure not too long ago and I think this would have been great for me. 
Nicole

------------------------------
Nicole Napier-Scott MSM MSN RN
Population Health Manager
MIT Medical
Cambridge MA
(617)258-7064
------------------------------