Editor's Note: Dr. Scott Bolhack, MD, MBA, CMD, CWS, FACP, FAAP, discusses the importance of communication across care settings. Through the "Wound Provider Checklist" he presented at SAWC Spring 2023, Dr. Bolhack hopes this tool simplifies the complexities of patient transition through care.¹

Transcript

Of the checklist, what bullet point do you feel is the most important for ensuring best outcomes?

Scott Bolhack, MD, MBA, CMD, CWS, FACP, FAAP Not a single bullet point, but the concept of communication is by far the most important piece here. It is not uncommon for a patient to come from the hospital to the skilled nursing facility and there's no sign out of an impending severe pressure injury, for example. Rarely, there a sign out from one clinician to another. It's rarely on a problem list, and maybe the nurses would be signing this out to another nurse. So that's one level of communication. The other one being obviously on a problem list. It's not uncommon in both nursing and in physician clinician notes to just see underneath the skin section clean, no rashes, all normal, and they're coming in with stage II, III, and IV pressure injuries for example. And this is a total lack of communication. Things need to be addressed appropriately. And likewise, if they're in the nursing home and they're being discharged to the home health, communication verbally with clear orders, the patient continues to get their care for any type of wound. I would say that that's the most important piece. And then also in communication with the patient or their family to say you have this wound, these are the kinds of things you need to do. You really do need to follow up with the outpatient wound center. That's the direction they need to go in. Or yeah, you're going to get established with home health, these are the things you should expect moving forward. I would say that that's really one of the more common themes.

References

1. Bolhack S. Wound Provider Check List — A Decision-Making Guide for the Transition of Care. Poster presented at: SAWC Spring 2023; April 26-30 2023; National Harbor, MD

About the Presenter Scott Bolhack, MD, MBA, CMD, CWS, FACP, FAAP, is an internist in Tucson, Arizona and works in hospice and palliative care. He has worked in the wound care space for upwards of 25 years and started in skilled nursing facilities. He’s practiced across the entire transition of care, including assisted living facilities, home health, and wound care in hospice. Over a period of 12 years, he was the medical director and practicing physician at hospital outpatient department of wound care, along with 2 nurse practitioners. Now, he is a regional medical director for a nursing home chain and still practices wound care at a local nursing home. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are solely those of the author, and do not represent the views of WoundSource, HMP Global, its affiliates, or subsidiary companies