Objective To complete a thorough needs assessment / initial evaluation for a COPD patient of an outpatient clinic
Actors Patient, Educator (Nurse, RT, the Physician could also be the educator)
Timelines One 60-90 min session with the Educator
Description
This protocol should be established for all COPD patients from a given clinic, independently of whether they are new patients or they are known to the clinic. This protocol is the basis to engage the patient into other protocols such as education, exacerbation follow-up, etc.
We need to identify patient goals/concerns to guide the interventions
A thorough evaluation is carried on, with the objective of understanding where the patient is on their disease journey and follow-up treatable traits: dyspnea, exacerbation or dyspnea and exacerbation.
It includes the use of objective questionnaires such as the mMRC, CAT, HADS, Frailty Scale, etc.
Identify if the patient needs to be referred to other resources (e.g. Physiotherapist, social worker, occupational therapist)
Once Onboarding is completed, the patient continues to the COPD Education workflow
COPD Education – Continuous Maintenance
Objective To cover in depth all the necessary elements of self-management education as per the LWWCOPD, with priorities based on patient goals and identified treatable traits
Actors Patient, Educator (Nurse, RT or Physician)
Timelines A number of “Core” educational modules have been identified which cover the basic COPD education from the LWWCOPD program. Additionally, optional modules can be used to respond to patient needs. The timeline (frequency, number of modules to be covered at a given education session) is fully customizable, although we recommend to have education sessions every 2-weeks during the “active” phase of education. Once this is completed, the patient continues to the Maintenance Mode (see below).
Description
Launched at the onboarding protocol
Provide basic overview of COPD self-management based on LWWCOPD (medication adherence, inhaler techniques, PLB technique & energy conservation) up to the development of an Action plan for early exacerbation recognition and management.
Prioritize self-learning by the patient (e.g. watching videos, reading educational materials, completing homework) in addition to live sessions with the Educator. Educational materials are sent to the patient directly via the platform, and become the patient’s own library. The Educator can customize which “homework” the patient receives.
Educators have access to “User guides” to standardise their educational intervention. These user guides include: objectives, interventions, suggested questions, evaluation of self-efficacy, and learning contracts for each module.
Once the core education is completed, the patient can continue to the Respiratory Status Follow-up Workflow (run in parallel)
The Maintenance Mode
As soon as the maintenance mode is engaged, the frequency of visits Educator/Patient is reduced to once every 6 months.
During the Maintenance Mode sessions, the educator has access to all the education modules and can choose any piece of content that needs to covered with the patient.
A streamlined evaluation (similar to the initial eval.) is done during each “maintenance” visit to identify any substantial changes on the patient’s needs that will require some adjustment. The patient could come back to an “active” education mode (more frequent education sessions, e.g. every 2 weeks).
COPD Respiratory Status Follow-up
Objective Monitoring of stable patients from a clinic in order to identify early any aggravation of symptoms (exacerbation) and implement an action plan
Actors Patient, Educator (Nurse, RT or Physician)
Timelines Scheduled regular automated follow-up to the patient symptoms. Intensity/Frequency can be adjusted by the Educator depending on patient needs (e.g. daily, every week, etc.). Ongoing through the year.
Description
Launch: Patients who have completed the Core Educational including setting-up an action plan.
Regular automated questions allow to identify any change in patient’s symptoms and severity.
If an exacerbation is detected the patient gets a reminder to engage their self-management strategies while waiting for the Educator to call back.
An alarm is generated for the Educator, so they immediately call back the patient. At this call they will evaluate any further intervention required and schedule additional follow-up.
Schedule a Demo
Learn more about aTouchAway’s features and how they can help improve efficiency in your healthcare organization.
