A Novel Way to Keep Everyone in the Know
Create your own scrolling message board for less than $1,000.
The best thousand dollars we ever spent was on the scrolling message boards that are hanging in both of our staff lounges. The news we post on the monitors keeps everyone, from administration to clinical staff, informed of the daily schedule, policy and regulatory updates, and special events at our surgery center.

The idea was hatched during a management meeting, when our perioperative coordinator proposed a novel way of communicating important information to clinical staff, who don't have regular access to computers. The digital solution is also an environmentally friendly alternative to the paper memos we previously used to relay information.

We purchased 2 wall-mounted monitors for our lounges and had our IT department wirelessly hook them up to the facility's computer system. We refresh the news every day. It's easy: Members of the management team update the PowerPoint slides that flash on the screens showing:

• that day's schedule and staffing assignments;
• upcoming events, such as meetings or the arrival of new physicians;
• important updates, such as policy and procedure changes, regulatory issues and staffing changes;
• clinical updates, such as issues pertaining to infection control and patient safety;
• employee notices, including human resources updates, holidays and payroll dates; and
• a "Just for Fun" slide featuring a "word of the day" and a "quote of the day" to educate and entertain staff.

Overall, the monitors and IT work needed to get them up and running cost us less than $1,000 — a small price to pay for more streamlined, reliable and "green" communication among the staff.

Connie Twaddell
Medical Records & Marketing Coordinator
Centennial Surgery Center
Vorhees, N.J.
[email protected]

Give Patients a Nerve Pathway Chart for Describing Pain
Sometimes it's difficult for patients to communicate the pain they're experiencing in a way that's meaningful to a clinician. To make sure that the clinician and patient are literally on the same page, before and after surgery we ask patients to point out on a nerve pathway chart exactly where and how they're feeling pain. Each patient goes home with a multi-color nerve pathway chart (see sample) that lets the patient pinpoint the precise location of any pain he feels. He can fax or mail the chart back to the surgeon's post-op liaison. This chart is especially helpful when the patient is at home trying to explain where it hurts over the telephone.

Tina Christiaens, MHS, PAC
Director of Patient Services
Laser Spine Institute
Tampa, Fla.
[email protected]

Have Diabetic Patients Bring Their Own Glucometers
To avoid the expense of purchasing single-use glucose meters (priced around $400 to $500 each) and the potential confusion of cleaning and disinfecting multi-use meters, we've started asking patients with diabetes to bring their own glucometers from home with them when they come to our center.

CMS requires you to conduct all point-of-care testing with single-use lancets and to use glucose meters for 1 patient only if the manufacturer doesn't specify that the device can be used for more than 1 patient. If your facility does have a reusable glucometer, you must have very clear guidelines from the manufacturer on how to clean and disinfect the device between uses. Unfortunately, some manufacturers' guidelines are not clear or complete enough to meet these standards.

We've found that most patients have no problem bringing their own glucometers from home. In the rare cases where we need to use our facility's reusable glucometer, we've posted clearly written manufacturers' instructions for cleaning the device between uses. I also provide an in-service to educate staff on cleaning and disinfection protocols to make sure we're in compliance with CMS infection control guidelines for point-of-care devices.

Janis Snyder, RN
Clinical Manager
Adult & Children's Surgery Center of Southwest Florida
Fort Myers, Fla.
[email protected]

Bring Your Pre-Op Process Online
Running an effective pre-operative screening program is a challenge, especially for smaller surgical facilities. Since bringing our pre-op process online, we couldn't be happier with the results. Instead of providing patients with a surgical packet they have to fill out at home, they now receive a single sheet of paper instructing them how to create their online "medical passport." The service we use (www.onemedicalpassport.com) takes most patients less than 15 minutes to fill out the entire questionnaire.

The results? Patient histories are more complete, making it easier for our nurses to review, and because patient data formulates automatically into our reports, it saves our nurses a tremendous amount of time.

Initially the idea was met with some skepticism, as many assumed that our elderly patients wouldn't participate. A little raffle for the schedulers helped entice the naysayers to give it a chance. We entered the name of every patient that completed an online pre-op evaluation into a drawing. The corresponding scheduler won a digital camera (one that an office supply chain awarded us for purchases we made from their store).

Today, more than 70% of our patients now complete their pre-op evaluation online. There are 2 reasons for this success. First, more and more of the surgical schedulers in our referring offices are encouraging their patients to use the system. Second, our website (www.samedaysurgery.com) contains a link to the online pre-op evaluation site.

Wanda Moratelli, CASC
Business Administrator
Ambulatory Care Center
Vineland, N.J.
[email protected]