Patient Compliance and Cancellations

[Steve_Earnshaw]

Hello Everyone, I wonder if you could help. In our same day surgery we have been having a lot of cancellations delays and issues with patients not complying with instructions etc. Examples include: no ride, NPO violations, BP meds and blood thinners, no pre-reg, no one to take them home or give discharge instructions to. etc. The usual things right?

I've talked to a few folks that work in places that have a care contract that sets out very clear SDS expectations of the patient, and explains if the patients don't comply then the may be cancelled. Do any of y'all have experience with patient contracts or examples you could share with me.

Thanks

[brownbook]

I don't know exactly, but it shouldn't be that hard for your facility to come up with something. I just had a colonoscopy, I saw the doctor in his office a few days prior. He, the doctor himself, went over the pre-op instructions that covered everything you mentioned. He asked me if I had any questions and I signed it and brought a copy home. I threw the list away, otherwise I'd paste a copy here.

Just type up a list with the top 5 - 10 instructions the patient must do before they arrive, have them sign it, ask if they have questions.

I guess the problem would be is when is the patient given this list. Ideally the surgeon or gastroenterologists, or certainly their nurse or clerk, would go over it with the patient, have them sign it, and take it home.

In addition we have a pre-op nurse call the patient 1 - 3 days prior to their procedure at our outpatient surgery clinic. The nurse verbally goes over all these instructions also.

I isn't a 100% guarantee that the patient will be compliant, but he don't have that many cancellations.