Re: Functional Screening for Inpatient Admissions

[Guest guest]

Nursing does the assessment on the patient's admission, as a component of the

patient's data base. Component's of the assessment can include: functional

extremity weakness, recent history of falls, patient requiring use of an

assistive device with ambulation, patient requiring recent increase assistance

from

caregivers with transfers, on/off commode, in/out of car etc.

The components can be easily fashioned into a quick answer; yes/no format

that nursing can utilize as they admit the patient.

An answer in the affirmative should trigger the OT/PT eval. It can also be

used with speech with eating, swallowing or communication patient needs.

Slocum, PT

Mountain Top, PA

[Guest guest]

Paivi,

When the nurse does their admission assessment at our facility there is a

section on the back of their form pertaining to Physical Rehabilitation.

There are items such as " recent falls within one month " or " acute fracture "

or " recent difficulty with ADL's " that are valued at a 1, 2, or 3. When the

nurse is finished with that section if the score totals greater than or

equal to 3 points then a request is sent to PT for a screen. The PT will do

a chart review, talk with nursing and/or interview the patient and if it

seems that the patient could benefit from a PT consult then the PT will

request an order in the patient's medical chart.

Hope this helps!

Jill Piazza, PT, MSPT

Florida Hospital DeLand

Functional Screening for Inpatient Admissions

> JCAHO standard PC 2.120 element of performance #5 states: A functional

> status screening, when warranted by the patient's needs or condition, is

> completed within no more than 24 hours of inpatient admission.

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> How is your hospital " handling " this standard? Are the therapist

> performing the screenings without physician order or are the nursing

> doing a quick questionnaire and when triggered for further therapy

> screening they will obtain the order for therapy evaluation?

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> I would appreciate any information how your organization is doing this.

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> Thank you!

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> Paivi Parssinen

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> Clinical Director, Rehab Services

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> South Georgia Medical Center

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> Valdosta, Ga

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> Phone:

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