HH Nurses.....Do you bubble chart? Do you like it? Or not?

[DutchgirlRN, ASN, RN]

We use bubble charting. It's the only kind of HH paperwork I've ever done. I'm just wondering how it compares time wise to other HH paperwork? The only problem I'm finding is that there is not enough room on the Nursing Intervention form to document wound care or other pertinent information. In care conference today I asked to we could use a page #2 as additional Nurses Notes. I wouldn't see why it would matter since it would only go in the chart and wouldn't contain any info that would need scanning? If you bubble chart do you have this problem and what is your solution? Also do you charge the patient for finger stick PT/INR's. We don't, I find that strange as the website for the monitor has all the reimbursement information and codes. We have 95% private insurance patients and are working on getting more Medicare. Thanks.

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

Don't know anything about bubble charting + document scanning.

Our agency uses McKesson's HBOC Pathway's program since 2002 which takes some getting use to if not computer savy (majority of experienced RN's). RN's use laptops -just upgraded to larger screen, slightly heavier but staff feel worth it.

RE fingerstick PT/INR: Medicare does not accept that type of lab for payment. Maybe private insurance/HMO's in your area also reject claim--your finance director should have that info if clinical manager does not.

Sometimes billing for service is not worth the hassel if claim repeatedly rejected. If 95% non Medicare, certainly worth looking into.

Because of lack of MC financial rembursement, need to maintenance log, strip storage etc and urban/suburban area, our agency doesn't use device.

Hospital lab picks up at our agency branches several times a day when called.