Policy Manual sample

MDT Home Health Care Agency, Inc. PAIN MANAGEMENT PURPOSE: * To provide patients receiving care, treatment and/or services from the Agency with an effective pain management process thereby promoting positive patient outcomes. * To ensure that a comprehensive pain management assessment is conducted as appropriate to the patient’s condition and the scope of care, treatment and/or services provided by the Agency. * To uphold the patient’s right to appropriate assessment and management of pain. * To uphold the patient’s right to receive information about and, when appropriate, to be involved in the decision-making care, treatment and/or services. POLICY: * The Agency plans, supports and coordinates activities and resources to assure that the patient’s pain is recognized and addressed appropriately. * The single most reliable indicator of the existence and intensity of pain is the patient’s self- report. * All patients served by the Agency have the right to an effective pain management plan based on clinical status needs, cultural, religious and ethnic preferences, age and physical and cognitive abilities. * The Agency believes that effective pain management is a physical, psychological and social process that should be managed collaboratively and proactively by the patient, family professional staff, physician, social worker and spiritual coordinator. * Pain management may be achieved through the use of drug and/or complementary modalities. * The Agency staff, including contracted personnel, are instructed in pain management strategies during orientation, at least annually and more often if necessary. PROCEDURE: * The Registered Nurse or Licensed Therapist performs a comprehensive pain assessment: * During the initial assessment visit * At regular intervals, as appropriate, while the patient is receiving care, treatment and/or services through the Agency based upon the patient’s clinical status. * Whenever a patient self-reports pain * The assessment and measure of pain intensity and quality, i.e., pain character, frequency, location and duration, should be appropriate to the patient’s age. * Elements addressed in a comprehensive pain assessment include, but are not limited to: * Description, duration, variations and intensity of pain using an Agency-approved pain intensity rating scale appropriate to the patient’s age, cognitive and learning abilities. * Location of pain and radiation, if any * Circumstances of the onset of pain * Aggravating/alleviating factors * Present pain management regimen and its effectiveness * Previous pain management interventions and the effectiveness of those intervention Home Health Agency Nursing Manual J-48