Equipment needed for home visits by providers

[CrunchRN, ADN, RN]

I am helping set up an 1115 waiver program and would love to hear about any recommendations you can give me for what equipment you take for home visits as we will have mobile clinics in churches and senior centers and the providers will make home visits. The providers are NP's and PA's?

Also, do you use their home scale for weights?

Any info you can give me on essential equipment for home visits is greatly appreciated!

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

My only patients who get weights are babies so I have a baby scale.

I bring my own VS equipment and equipment for lab draws (syringes, lab tubes and lab bags, butterfly needles for kids who get peripheral sticks). Central line supplies and port needles are in the patients' homes.

[CrunchRN, ADN, RN]

Thank you for sharing that info.

[Anna Flaxis, BSN, RN]

I am a volunteer supply coordinator for a nonprofit group that does no-cost outpatient clinic work.

I provide exam supplies such as:

Otoscope/opthalmoscope and disposable speculae

Head lamp (super bright)

Magnifier

Sphygmomanometer

Stethoscope

Thermometer

Tongue blades

PPE and patient drapes

We don't do lab draws because we don't have access to a lab, but I do stock urine specimen cups and dipsticks.

I provide everything from band aids to suture kits to lady partsl speculae and pregnancy tests to a 12 lead EKG. Our providers can do a lot, but we don't have lab or imaging, so they're limited by that.

What kind of treatments will the providers be wanting to provide? Will you need to have a formulary so they can dispense the first doses of meds? Do you have a medical director on board?

[CrunchRN, ADN, RN]

Very helpful Stargazer.

I need to look into the headlamp and can I get more specifics on the "magnifier"

We will be doing primary care out in the community age 50 and older.

[Anna Flaxis, BSN, RN]

I got the head lamp on Amazon, and the magnifier is one of those visor like things you wear on your head. Unfortunately our providers haven't figured out a way to wear both at the same time, LOL. They do make magnifying head lamps, but they tend to be pretty expensive.

[Anna Flaxis, BSN, RN]

Okay, so you probably don't need the pregnancy tests, but you will still have women's health issues. I don't know if your providers will actually do women's health exams or refer women in need to another provider, but if your providers are going to do it, you should get some disposable speculums, lube, and maxi pads.

Oh, and I forgot to add a pulse oximeter to that first list. You can get those finger tip ones pretty cheap these days.

[Anna Flaxis, BSN, RN]

Also, hit your local hospital up for donations. Supplies and equipment can really add up, and many hospitals have stuff just sitting there in the basement to be shipped off to Africa or Haiti or somewhere. They might be really glad to let you come and look through stuff and see what you can use. They can write it off on their taxes.

[Anna Flaxis, BSN, RN]

We also have:

Percussion hammer

flashlight

nasal speculum

flourescein stain and woods lamp

lots of other stuff....

[CrunchRN, ADN, RN]

That is great!

All gyn will be referred out to specialists. Thank goodness!