Industry Visit Weight Points Standard

[RNLaura]

A lot of changes are in process at the CHHA/LTHHCP where I am an RN Home Care Nurse. The Director of Public Health is enforcing the "Industry Standard of # Billable Visits/Day" = 5-7 and the "Industry Visit Weight Points Standard" = accumulate 9 points/day (3 points for case opening and 1 point for each other type of visit).

Any one have any experience with either of these?

[renerian, BSN, RN]

Laura no experience with that particular standardization but I have worked places that gave points. Seemed much more fair.

renerian

[Cindy5]

In my agency, we just started a "Care Level System" that gives points to each patient - each point represents one hour work - basic revisits are 1.25 points - that includes follow up calls, 30 minutes for travel time and the charting.

Many of our patients are very ill and complex - they can be given 1.5 to 2 points/ visit. This is for the revisit.

Admits can be anywhere from 2 to 4 points.

We are assigned up to 7.5 points/day. That represents 7.5 hours work/eight hour day. We have two paid breaks per full day worked. There is no time allowed for going into the office or picking up supplies. Therefore the scheduler usually gives less than 7.5 points/day if possible.

Our charting and follow up is very extensive. We are responsible for knowing everything about the patient. Our system allows us to follow up directly with the physicians, we can access all testing that has been done on each patient.

We just started this system and there will be follow up audits on it.

All of our "easy" patients are given to in house LVNs or are supped out to registry agencies for visits. Case managers usually see the "easier" patients once a week.