Home Healthcare Your PCP Is Primary

By Winston Thomas, Marketing Manager

Following your primary care physician's order is the key to a successful homecare recovery program. It is very important that both the patient/family and homecare clinical staff adhere to the doctor's prescription to develop a homecare treatment plan that is most beneficial to the patient. The two “C's” of care are “C”oordination and “C”ontinuity, and they are key components of a successful homecare plan.

What Is Care Coordination?

Care coordination, as it relates to homecare, can simply be defined as teamwork where there is a deliberate organization of patient care activities. This organized activity involves the primary care physician, homecare clinicians, patient, family and all other participants concerned with the patient's plan of care to work together, harmoniously, to obtain safer and more effective care to the patient.

Some examples of care coordinated activities include

Patient Assessment

Medication Management

Transition of Care

Home Safety

Family Support

What Is Continuity Of Care?

In regards to homecare, continuity of care can be viewed as the process where the patient, primary care physician and homecare clinical team are all cooperatively involved in the ongoing health care experience and management of the patient.

When a patient is released from the hospital, the homecare team adapts a plan of care, based on the doctor's order, for the long-term. A true partnership is formed with all involved to achieve success and maximum benefits to the patient.

In choosing a licensed and certified home health agency, be sure they have a detailed plan of care in place that includes the two “C's” of care.