Patient-Centered Defensible Documentation

Presented by Ellen R. Strunk and Maureen McCarthy

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Video Runtime: 41 Minutes; Learning Assessment Time: 25 Minutes

Recent revisions to the SNF requirements of participation (RoP) emphasize resident-centered care planning. But translating this concept into daily practice is still a challenge. This course will examine the concept of resident-centered care and how documentation is related to it. An introduction to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) will give clinicians a context in which they can apply new approaches. Strategies will be shared to help new and intermediate-level therapists and nurses demonstrate patient engagement within the documentation.

Meet your instructors

Ellen R. Strunk

Ellen R. Strunk has worked in various roles and settings as a clinician, manager/director, and policy expert. Ellen is an expert at helping customers understand the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) prospective payment systems in the skilled nursing facility and home health settings, as well as outpatient therapy…

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Maureen McCarthy

Maureen is the president of Celtic Consulting, LLC, a clinical reimbursement, clinical operations, and compliance advisory firm. She is also the CEO of MDSRescue, an organization that provides temporary MDS completion services across the country. Recognized as an industry leader in clinical reimbursement for long-term care,…

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Chapters & learning objectives

The Why of Patient-Centered Care

1. The Why of Patient-Centered Care

Patient-centered care is care that is specific to the resident and not generalized or generic. Discovering the patient’s preferences and wishes is one method of strengthening documentation. This chapter will provide real-life examples of how the concept can be translated into practice and become a natural part of the documentation.

Using the ICF to Support Documentation

2. Using the ICF to Support Documentation

The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) is a unified, standard language and framework that captures how people with health conditions function in their daily lives rather than focusing on their diagnoses. That framework fits with what SNF providers work to do every day: focus on residents' abilities rather than only on their disabilities. This chapter will provide an overview of the ICF and give examples of how the framework can support nursing and therapy documentation.

The Value of Patient Engagement

3. The Value of Patient Engagement

Patient engagement is increasingly recognized as a critical component of patient-centered care. This chapter defines the concept and explains why it is critical to both patient-centered care and documentation. Examples of patient engagement strategies and opportunities will be shared, as well as how those strategies are directly connected to documentation. Factors that positively and negatively influence patient engagement will also be discussed, as they can significantly alter a patient’s care outcome.