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Background:
Medicare reimbursement in home care is dependent upon the admitting clinician’s assessment and documentation using the Outcomes Assessment Information Set (OASIS). Twenty-one percent of the OASIS questions focus on wounds. This requires clinicians to be experts in identifying wounds, staging pressure ulcers, and determining the healing status. Inaccurate OASIS documentation has been an ongoing problem at the large home care agency studied. The Wound Ostomy Continence Nurse plays an important role in staff education.
Purpose:
The purpose of this quantitative research, using an internet survey, is to determine if clinicians are learning and retaining knowledge of wound and OASIS documentation including basic treatment and agency protocols after traditional educational approaches. Primary outcomes of interest were staff competence in identifying wound etiology, staging pressure ulcers, basic treatment protocols, agency wound care policy and healing status according to OASIS guidelines.
Methodology:
A pre-experimental, pre-test and post-test design was used. An innovative tool was created using a purchased on-line survey service to assess staff baseline knowledge of wounds and OASIS documentation. The tool was created using wound photographs and multiple-choice questions. Participation was voluntary and anonymous. The assessment survey was repeated six months after traditional educational interventions to determine if learning was retained.
Statistics:
A basic analysis of data was provided by the on-line survey service. A comparative analysis was done using Excel.
Results:
After training, staff improved in assessment of wounds by 19.6% and in assessment of healing status by 7%. Improvement was not demonstrated in other areas. An unexpected finding was an improvement in patient wound outcomes as reported by Medicare.
Conclusion:
Traditional approaches to education did not ensure retained learning. Use of the on-line assessment survey was effective in demonstrating opportunities for further learning. Innovative educational strategies should be implemented to ensure optimum reimbursement from Medicare.
Purpose:
The purpose of this quantitative research, using an internet survey, is to determine if clinicians are learning and retaining knowledge of wound and OASIS documentation including basic treatment and agency protocols after traditional educational approaches. Primary outcomes of interest were staff competence in identifying wound etiology, staging pressure ulcers, basic treatment protocols, agency wound care policy and healing status according to OASIS guidelines.
Methodology:
A pre-experimental, pre-test and post-test design was used. An innovative tool was created using a purchased on-line survey service to assess staff baseline knowledge of wounds and OASIS documentation. The tool was created using wound photographs and multiple-choice questions. Participation was voluntary and anonymous. The assessment survey was repeated six months after traditional educational interventions to determine if learning was retained.
Statistics:
A basic analysis of data was provided by the on-line survey service. A comparative analysis was done using Excel.
Results:
After training, staff improved in assessment of wounds by 19.6% and in assessment of healing status by 7%. Improvement was not demonstrated in other areas. An unexpected finding was an improvement in patient wound outcomes as reported by Medicare.
Conclusion:
Traditional approaches to education did not ensure retained learning. Use of the on-line assessment survey was effective in demonstrating opportunities for further learning. Innovative educational strategies should be implemented to ensure optimum reimbursement from Medicare.