Collaborative Care-Collaborative between Professionals - Research Paper Example

Collaborative care-collaborsative between professionals By Introduction Care pathway is also called care paths, critical pathways, case management plans, integrated care pathways, care maps and clinical care pathways. The main purpose of a care path is to ensure the care program is directed on the patient and is planned well. The pathways are used in various places in the world though different names are used to explain the program in various countries (Feuth & Claes, 2008). The result of the pathway is not clear because of the less research done on it. The pathways usually allow different professionals coming up with a goal of making a choice that focuses on the care of the patient. Collaborative health care Collaborative care involves health professionals such as health assistants, nurses, doctors, physiotherapies and pharmacists working together with clients, patients, residents, care givers, families and the community with an intention of providing care that is considered quality. Studies have provided data of how collaborative care is important. Health providers work together with a focus on the patient in order to achieve good results. Hospitals employ many professionals who provide health care to the patients in the hospital who are in need of it (Kates, 2010). Nurses, dietician nurse, physiotherapist, nursing assistants, nurses in charges, doctors and managers have to work together to provide patient care depending on the condition of the patient. Collaborative health care helps health care providers to work together as a team and cooperate in caring for the patient (Luc & Kitchiner, 2001). Collaborative health care in London’s national hospital In this paper I will describes the care pathways which examines the experience of a patient care that I participated in. As a health care assistant I need to be committed in helping other health care providers in provision of care to the patient. I am in contact with the patient most of the time. Assisting the patient in doing activities of the daily living require health care assistant who is committed. The essay paper seeks to explain how I collaborate with other health workers in the ward and in the main hospital to promote and improve the health of the patient. As a health care assistant, I work together with the dietician nurse, the physiotherapist, the nursing assistant, Manager, social services, the nurse in charge and other nurses. The name of the patient has been changed with an intention of ensuring confidentiality associated with NMC policy (Glenn, 2000). With the assistant of the nurse I admitted Mr. XXX a client with a long history of mobility issues that has been complicated by a recent vehicle accident which has affected his ability to undertake activities essential to his well being. The patient has been presented at London’s national hospital concerned with neurology and neurosurgery where I work as a health care assistant (Ignatavicius, 2006). I recorded both the subjective and objective data from the patient. I asked one of the nurse assistant to help me carry out physical examination of the patient. I recorded the physical examination finding in the patient file and prepared a nursing care plan with the help of the other nurse incharge. I referred the patient for physician review due to steam gliome. According to the information I obtained from the patient, Mr.XXX presented with vomiting and had lost 10kg weight in the past one month. The body of a human being loses a lot of fluids and electrolytes during vomiting. The patient has a history of vomiting twice in a week. With the help of the nurse in charge of the patient care, I explained to the patient on the effects of vomiting and the hospital intervention to help deal with the problem. The patient was feeling dizzy and I requested the assistance of the nurse to help transfer the patient to the bed. I explained to the patient on the reason that led to his admission. I also explained the various hospital policies to help in relaying anxiety and make him relax. Working closely with the other health care assistants ensured the ward is maintained clean and the hygiene of the patient is improved. The use of infection prevention technique by all the health professional prevented the transmission of the infection from one patient to the other. The nurses, the nurse assistants, the physicians and all the other health providers have to wash their hands before handling the patient to prevent cross infection. I worked together with the other health assistant to ensure the soiled linen are changed and cleaned. The information obtained from the patient showed that the patient had drinking problems. I referred the patient to the social and the counseling services department to be adviced on ways of stopping drinking. I also shared the information I had on drinking problem which the patient was able to respond well and asked questions. The patient had lost a lot of body fluid as a result of frequent vomiting and fluids will help restore the fluid volume in the body. I reported the progress and state of the patient to the nurse in charge. In addition I recorded all the activities done to act as communication to the other nurses and ensure continuous care (Hornby & Atkins 2000). With the help of the other assistant nurses I was able to take the vital signs and compare it to normal. Any deviation was reported to the nurse and the physician in charge. From the information we obtained from the patient the mother of the patient died of heart attack. The vital signs I took showed a low blood pressure which was below the normal range. I was forced to inform the physician for patient’s review. The patient was also on drugs. The patient was on Amlodipine a drug used in the treatment of hypotension. I asked another health assistant to help me in administering drugs to the patient. I used a pain scale to assess and measure the level of pain. The pain scale showed the patient was having severe pain due to a pain scale of (7/10). I took this opportunity to inform the pain team. I requested for drugs to help reduce the pain level. The physical examination findings and information that I got from the patient indicated that the patient had mobility problems. I with the help of the nurse and other health assistants helped Mr. XXX in performance of the activities of the daily living. The patient was assisted in taking a bed bath and other activities such as elimination intake of food and exercise that was important in promotion of his health. With the help of the nurse I helped the patient out of bed and moved him around the hospital to help him familiarize with the ward environment. The mobility problem that the patient presented with made him unable to carry out most of the activities of the daily living. This forced me to report to the physiotherapist to help assess the patient and provide physical therapy. I prepared the bed and with the help of another nurse assistant we were able to transfer this patient on bed (Jackson, 2011). I ensured the patient’s data is of concern and kept confidential. I only shared the patient’s information with the physicians concerned with his health. Patients’ data is recorded at the entry point and any progress or procedure done documented under the file containing his name. During the doctors round, the review of the patients system is done and recorded in the file for continuity of care. The name of the professional, the time of the procedure and the contact should be documented. The documentations of patient’s information act as a tool of communication between me and other care givers. Effective care ought to be patient centered (Zelm & Whittle, 2011). The hospital policies allow care givers to work together as a team. As a health assistant, I have to assist other professionals in caring for the patient. Nurses and health care assistants spend a lot of time with the patient and offer them care that targets the general well being. I ensure the rights of the patients are protected and worked closely with nurses and other physicians to improve the health of the patients. With other care givers we were able to protect the privacy of the patient during performance of the many procedures. I was assisted by the nurse in charge in preparing the patient for procedures. The patient was to undergo a ventricular peritoneal shunt due to the brain gliome he presented with (Glenn, 2000). I reported to the nurse in charge to inform the physician so as the patient can be reviewed. The procedure will help to reduce pressure in the brain by draining the excess cerebrospinal fluid. Since I was working in a private ward, the expectation of the patient were more and it was my responsibility with other care givers to ensure the patient is comfortable. I was assisted to take and record the patient’s vital signs (Westberg & Jason, 2001) As a health care assistant in the ward, I ensured that the environment of the patient is kept clean. The patients’ linen has to be changed and cleaned. The hygiene of the patient is of essence. I have to work with other health care providers to ensure the patient is kept clean and healthy. I did Physical examination in a cleaner environment. I recorded the patient’s progress in the file for continuity of care. I explained to the nurses on how the patient was doing during the nurses’ round. With the help of the nurses I prepared and updated the care plan of the patient. I also took part in implementation of the physician’s plan of care (Jackson 2011). I met with the other nurses during the handover report to explain the patient’s progress and what was to be done to improve the care of the patient. Together with the other health assistant we received the patient after the procedure and transferred him to bed .we monitored the patient for any abnormal changes. I updated the cardex and balanced the input and output chart. I communicated to the physician and the nurse on the patient progress after the procedure and implemented the patients care plan with the help of the nurse in charge. As a health care assistant, I have to record everything done to the patient. I have to update the cardex any time a profession conduct a procedure or any activity directed in care of the patient. The drugs prescribed route and when administered, the time the patient takes meal and the type of meals. I forwarded the physician’s prescription to the pharmacist through the documented prescriptions. The physician examined the patient and prescribes the drugs that are vital in improving the health of the patient. The documented prescription is usually forwarded to the pharmacist to be evaluated and the drugs are then dispatched for the patient’s intake. I ensured the pharmacist counter checked the dosage and compares it to the age and weight of the patient (Weinstein, 2009).I assessed the patient’s progress and informed the nurse in charge. I asked the patient how he feels and allowed the family members to talk to the patient. With the nurse in charge we gave the family members information pertaining to the progress of their patient. I referred the patient to a physiotherapist in charge to take care of the patient’s physical well being (Hekkers, 2007). Exercise is vital for every human being and helps in promotion of health. Mr. X XX has to be supervised to demonstrate various range of motion pertaining to his health. I worked closely with the physiotherapist to help the patient perform some of the procedures. The physiotherapist has to record the various activities conducted by the patient and the progress made toward his health. I helped the physiotherapist in explaining the name and essence of the procedures and exercises should be communicated to the patient before it is done. The physiotherapist informed me of the injury the patient sustained during the conduction of the procedure to help in healing of the injury. I help the patient in moving out of bed and getting on bed. I worked closely with the nurse dietician to promote the nutrition wellbeing of the patient, after the physical examination is done the patient’s weight is seen to reduce. The physical examination of the patient indicates that the patient has recorded 10kgs weight reduction in a month. The patient is hypotensive and has Astrocytoma with early progression to grade III. The patient has also completed chemo radiation procedure. The patient requires good diet that is well balanced. I ensured the patient is able to take and retain meals as prescribed by the dieticians. The dietician has to ensure the patient is provided with meals that will ensure he is able to regain his weight. I ensured the meal is served in time in small quantities and frequently. With assistance of the other nurses we were able to ensure the patient take meals in time and recorded updated the food and fluid chart (Ignatavicius, 2010). I worked closely with the other health providers in the hospital by ensuring the equipments used in procedures are kept clean and protected from damage. Misuse of equipment is a loss to the hospital management. I reported damage to equipment and shortages to the nurse in charge who later reported to the hospital management. Through working together I was able to provide the necessary care to the patient. Collaborative health care is important and has to be applied in any hospital in the world to help the patient recover quickly. Working together as a team in the private ward increased Mr. XXX’s recovery (Glenn, 2000).The physician, the nurses, the pharmacist, the nurses and nurse assistant and the physiotherapist have to work together to help the patient recover and be healthy. Importance of collaborative health care Collaborative health care improves access to care, enhance efficiency and coordination of care, reduce burn out and enhance the morale of the care provider in the profession of health and finally it also enhances the safety and quality of the care provided. The approach advocates for collaboration among the care team, maintain a focus of care that is patient focus, and value the team members inputs and values, good communications among the team members and understanding the skills and the roles of the health care providers in the team (Curran, 2007). Collaborative health care allows collaborations among the medical professionals; provision of leadership at all levels, encourages team members and personal growth and championing work and ethical practices with other professionals of health aimed at developing code of ethics to be utilized by the team in collaboration. The approach stipulates that the overall success of the team does not depend on a single person (Nichols, 2012). The individual team members are to share and work with one another in taking care of the patient. The individuals involved have clear responsibilities and roles , are aware of the practice and scope of practice, have mutual respect and trust among the members, have established communication that is clear among all the individuals and understand the decision making roles and leadership within the team. All these individual characteristics are aimed at ensuring the outcome of care is vital and the patients are able to benefit from the care (Cook, 2007). The approach advocate for patient centered care. The care provided should align with the needs and values of the patient. The approach allows the patient to receive effective, comprehensive and efficient care. The team responsible with promotion of collaborative care should support patients, active decision makers and the family members in the provision of care. The family members should be able to access to the information of the patient and should be involved in care provision. The importance of collaborative care in a hospital is unquestionable however, a number of reasons have prevented its implementation in hospital settings. The reasons include; inadequate support for example less information technology, payment issues and remunerations, improper implementation time, inadequate program funding, ambiguous patient care accountability and medical liability issues that is unresolved and finally resistance for institutions, governments, professional and politicians to change. Collaborative care can also be applies in other areas in the health care settings such as palliative care, mental health , chronic disease management , geriatric care and primary care that is community based. Collaborative health care should be applied in almost all areas in the healthy setting because there is enough evidence to show how important it is. The medical profession has a task of making collaborative health care more effective in order to enhance better care that is patient focused (Gensichen,2008). The key characteristics of the care pathways involve the statement of the key elements and goals of care that is based on best practice, evidence and the expectations of the patient. It is described as the promotion of coordination of roles, communication and sequencing the functions of the professionals working together in the promotion of care, the patients and the family members in charge (Panella & Vanhaecht, 2012). The pathway is characterized with monitoring, documentation and evaluations of the outcomes and variance and resource identification. The main goal of the care pathway in a hospital setting is usually to; promote the safety of the patient, improving the outcome of the patient, optimizing the use of the various resources and increase the satisfaction of the patient. Conclusions Collaborative health care recognizes the relationship between the Patient and care providers. The physician, the nurses, the health care assistants, the pharmacists, the physiotherapist and other health care providers involved with patient care have to work together to promote the health of the patient. The respect and the relationship that exist between the patient and health providers are based on mutual trust and respect. Collaborative care has more benefits and should be integrated into the system of care in the health provision system in various care centers in the globe (Blancett, 2003). References Blancett, S. 2003. Health care outcomes: Collaborative, path-based approaches. Gaithersburg, Md.: Aspen. Cook, M. 2007. Medical behavioral health care: The collaborative model. PsycCRITIQUES. Curran, V. 2007. Collaborative care. Ottawa, Ont.: Health Cananda, Primary health care transition fund. Feuth, S., & Claes, L. 2008. Introducing clinical pathways as a strategy for improving care. Journal of Integrated Care Pathways, 56-60. Gensichen, J. 2008. IMPACT collaborative care improves depression in elderly patients in primary care in the longer term. Evidence-Based Mental Health, 76-76. Glenn, M. 2000. Collaborative health care: A family-oriented model. New York: Praeger. Hekkers, V. 2007. Mediation in health care: A collaborative journey. The Case Manager, 66-68. Hornby, S., & Atkins, J. 2000. Collaborative care interprofessional, interagency and interpersonal (2nd ed.). Oxford, UK: Blackwell Science. Ignatavicius, D. 2006. Medical-surgical nursing: Critical thinking for collaborative care (5th ed.). St. Louis, Mo.: Elsevier Saunders. Ignatavicius, D. 2010. Medical-surgical nursing: Patient-centered collaborative care (6th ed.). St. Louis, Mo.: Saunders/Elsevier. Jackson, D. 2011. Outcomes and resource utilization in collaborative care and birth centersOutcomes, safety, and resource utilization in a collaborative care birth center program compared with traditional physician-based perinatal care. Am J Public Health 2003;93:999?1006. Journal of Midwifery & Women?s Health, 60-61. Kates, N. 2010. Promoting collaborative care in Canada: The Canadian Collaborative Mental Health Initiative. Families, Systems, & Health, 466-473. Klein, S. 2010. Building Collaborative Bridges Between Public Health and Health Care Delivery. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 34-41. Luc, K., & Kitchiner, D. 2001. Developing care pathways the handbook. Abingdon, Oxon: Radcliffe Medical Press. Nichols, R. 2012. Action research in health care: The collaborative action research network health care group. Educational Action Research, 185-192. Panella, M., & Vanhaecht, K. 2012. State of the art of research in care pathways: Do care pathways work? International Journal of Care Pathways, 31-32. Sandberg, H. 2008. The concept of collaborative health. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 644-652. Weinstein, J. 2009. School-Based Health Centers and the Primary Care Physician: An Opportunity for Collaborative Care. Primary Care: Clinics in Office Practice, 305-315. Westberg, J., & Jason, H. 2001. Collaborative clinical education the foundation of effective health care. New York: Springer Pub. Zelm, R., & Whittle, C. 2011. Care Pathways 2010. International Journal of Care Pathways, 161-162. Read More