MEDITECH
Patient
Discharge Instructions
product brief
MEDITECH's Patient
Discharge Instructions are a library of physician-approved
recovery care instructions nurses and physicians can give to
departing patients to explain their conditions, provide advice
for home care and how to prevent complications, indicate signs
and symptoms to be aware of, and guide patients as to when it is
appropriate for them to seek medical help. Integration is a key
benefit of MEDITECH's Patient Discharge Instructions, as they
minimize the time providers spend generating instructions, and
result in an educational handout tailored to a patient's specific
condition. At the time of discharge, a nurse or physician selects
from the library of standard instructions. The system then
automatically incorporates the patient's demographic data and
medication information, collected from throughout MEDITECH's
HCIS, into the patient's instructions.
Released initially for use in departing patients from the
Emergency Department, MEDITECH's Patient Discharge Instructions
are now being expanded for use when departing patients from
physician appointments, clinic visits, and inpatient stays as
well. Customers who license MEDITECH's Patient Discharge
Instructions today will receive these extensions of the product's
capabilities and additional patient instructions at no charge as
they become available.
Highlights:
•
Eliminate the need for organizations to build their own content
by providing standard clinical content
• Reduce the amount of time caregivers
spend generating patient instructions
• Allow providers to build separate
instructions and address conditions not covered by standard
library content
• Save organizations money by decreasing
the amount of stored, printed materials
• Help hospitals to meet JCAHO
requirements for patient education
• Increase patient satisfaction due to
better understanding of their conditions
• Increase staff satisfaction by reducing
follow-up phone calls.
Standard Features
Patient-Friendly
Content
MEDITECH's Patient Discharge
Instructions contain an overview of the patient's condition,
advice for home care and how to prevent complications, signs and
symptoms to be aware of, and guidance on when it is appropriate
to seek medical help. Aimed at the 8th grade reading level,
instructions are written in both English and Spanish, and include
pictures so they are easy to understand. Furthermore,
instructions print in a standard, easy-to-read format.
Below is a sampling of some of the diagnoses for which discharge
instructions are currently available:
• Sprains and Strains
• Pneumonia
• Ear Infection
• Common Cold (pediatric and adult)
• Sore Throat (pediatric and adult)
• Strep Throat (pediatric and adult)
• Flu (pediatric and adult)
• Back Pain
• Cast Care
• Urinary Tract Infection
• Fractures
• Collar Bone Fracture
• Skin Abscesses
• Animal Bites
• Human Bites
• Insect Bites and Stings
• Tick Bites.
Ability
to Incorporate Supplemental Instructions
Fill-in fields located beneath
the standard instructions allow caregivers to incorporate visit-specific
information such as activity restrictions, follow-up
appointments, and return to work information into instructions
before they are printed. Supplemental instructions print in the
same format as the patient instructions, creating a seamless
appearance. Furthermore, caregivers can attach patient
instructions and other information developed by the health care
organization.
Integrated
Information
Patient demographic data and
prescribed medication information from throughout the MEDITECH
HCIS are automatically incorporated into patient discharge
instructions. Completed discharge instructions can be easily
stored with the patient's electronic medical record for future
recall.
Streamlined
Provider Workflow and Cost Efficiency
MEDITECH's Patient Discharge
Instructions save nurses and physicians valuable time. The
system's inherent integration automatically pulls patient
information directly from the HCIS into discharge instructions.
This integration reduces time spent on data entry and allows
nurses and physicians to quickly and conveniently access the
patient's record from anywhere in the HCIS. Furthermore,
organizations benefit from having a cost effective solution that
eliminates the need to maintain stored, printed materials.
Greater
Patient Satisfaction and Compliance
MEDITECH's Patient Discharge
Instructions help health care organizations meet JCAHO
requirements for patient and family education. The instructions
empower patients with information specific to their conditions
and care, and offer reminders of appointments and referrals. As a
result, these patients are ultimately more satisfied with their
care, caregiver, and health care facility. A confident patient
feels more comfortable asking questions of his/her provider and
is more apt to comply with care recommendations, promoting a
faster healing time with fewer complications.
For more information about us, contact a MEDITECH Marketing Representative
MEDITECH
Medical Information Technology, Inc.
MEDITECH Circle
Westwood, MA 02090
781-821-3000
www.meditech.com