Patient Advocate
How many hours does the patient advocate have to get back to a patient in reference to a complaint? (Minus weekends)
24 hours
True or False?: If a customer complains, it is our practice that the first staff member who receives the complaint seeks to immediately resolve the issue if possible.
.
At what time can patients ask to speak to their lawyer?
Patients asking to speak to a lawyer should be granted a phone call immediately.
When is it okay to restrain a patient?
ONLY when the patient is actively threatening the safety of themselves or others.
True or False?: You should NEVER attempt to solve a problem first without involving the patient advocate.
FALSE!!! All other efforts to resolve a patient's concerns should be exhausted PRIOR to escalating it to the patient advocate. You should ALWAYS do everything you can to appease the patient and to fix the problem; as with any other place of work, practicing basic customer service from an objective/non-reactive standpoint will often go a long way when it comes to alleviating complaints and making our patients happy.
True or false, patients may need to be restricted from phone calls at times.
True! Some patients are psychotic and may make inappropriate phone calls to strangers or 911. A doctors order is needed to limit phone access.
True or False?: The child's parent/guardian will be the only one making decisions for to their child's treatment plan.
False! Children, like any other human being, will always be involved when decisions are being made about their treatment plan.
When is it okay for patients to have strings in their personal items while on the unit?
NEVER! This is a ligature risk.
True or False?: You don't need to pick up discharge surveys after handing them out.
False! Please pick up discharge surveys and return them to the patient advocate folder on the unit.
When a patient requests to leave the hospital AMA, what is a possible outcome?
If the doctor believes the patient is safe to discharge, he or she may be allowed to leave. Otherwise, he or she may be placed on an OPC.
How long should you leave a patient sleeping in locked seclusion after an incident?
NEVER! If a patient is sleeping in locked seclusion after an incident, you should immediately open the door and assist them to their room.
False! Anyone can (and everyone should) help or do what they can when it comes to saving an AMA. Whether it be taking the time to listen and respond empathically, or it's giving a hungry/agitated patient an extra snack, showing that you care and doing what you can could make a patient think twice about leaving AMA.
True or false, it is okay to make a copy from the patient's chart if a patient is requesting information.
FALSE! You should NEVER make a copy out of a live chart. Inform the patient he or she can speak with medical records after discharge OR a doctor's order can be written to view a specific document in the chart.
A child refuses to take medication, but the parent insists on them taking it, how and when should this medication be given?
Like an adult, a child has the option to refuse any and all medications, unless it is a code situation for safety (EBI).
When you think a patient has contraband in his/her room, when is it okay to do a room search?
AFTER receiving the doctor's order to do so.
True or False?: If the complaint made by the patient is an allegation of abuse or neglect, the patient advocate will conduct an in-depth investigation.
False! The allegation will be elevated to the Risk Manager and HR Director for a formal investigation.
When would a patient not be able to refuse consent for medication?
During a code situation (EBI) OR if the medications are court ordered.
Little Johnny gives you a picture with his first and last name on it as a thank you for your hard work. Where will you hang this letter at your house?
YOU WON'T! It is a HIPAA violation to take anything out of the hospital containing personal information including patient names.
True or False?: If a person calls the unit stating to be a child's parent, CPS caseworker, or probation officer, we are required to give them whatever personal information about the patient if requested.
FALSE!!! ANYONE who calls inquiring more information regarding ANY patient must state the patient's access code before we can provide any personal information. Without an access code, we can neither confirm nor deny that a patient is at Cedar Crest.