This article documents what data collectors need to do to collect information for the Overstay Predictor Project.
This project was one of the Vacation and staff shortage collection priorities!
The following items need to be entered before the generation of the chart colour in the next step because the algorithm uses this data:
Generate colour
Once the required information has been entered click the "Overstay" button on the patient viewer screen next to the Notes field and it will turn a colour based on an algorithm.
The program will ask you if this is the final colour you will submit. If so, it will be stored and sent. The colour will also be automatically added to the beginning of the Notes field, since most collectors were manually putting it there anyways.
- Red - significant risk for discharge delays
- Yellow - anyone who is not red
- no email to manager
- no sticker on chart
- Gray - there are no gray stickers, gray is just a colour the laptop will give when it gets bad data for the algorithm.one of two scenarios:
- data needed to generate the colour is missing; you will not be able to generate a colour; there will be a specific error, please act on it
- the patient is transferred from a ward where the colour should have been generated already.
Red Chart Stickers
If the colour is red place a 3/4" red round sticker on the spine of the patient chart. Ward clerks will need to order these. Collectors will tell ward clerks when supplies are getting low.
Other coloured dots on charts
There is currently a small red dot used to indicate long term chart. These are not ours and users of the chart who use these ought to be aware of them.
Notifying the Unit Manager
If a patient is identified as red, CCMDB.accdb will populate an email subject line with the name of the patient and that they have been identified as overstay colour red. The collector must send the email to the unit manager (see List of Unit Managers). It should not be necessary to add additional information to the body, this way all info is visible when the manager sees the email arrive, and they don't have to open it.
If we find that additional info is required, let's talk about it and add it to the program, rather than add anything manually, so we know this is done consistently.
Possible Scenarios
Possible Scenario - Patient transferred from other ward - admit ward was participating ward
If the patient was admitted from a another medicine ward at the same location that also participates in the Overstay project, then the original Yellow/Red designation is retained.
It will be the responsibility of the manager of the originating ward to notify the manager of the receiving ward of any red patients.
Previous ward's collector
When you find out that your patient has been discharged to another ward where we collect please notify that collector. There seem to be different informal methods used by different collectors for this right now. We will test if that is good enough, and only formalize it if there are problems.
New ward's collector
Ensure that these charts have the appropriate colour dot on them as communicated to you.
Enter the patient as normal and click the overstay button. It will give you a message "Patient comes from participating ward, use their overstay colour on charts. CCMDB will list gray.". We will match the data to the original ward behind the scenes.
Possible Scenario - Patient transferred from other ward - admit ward was NON-participating ward
If the patient is transferred either from or via any unit not participating in the Overstay project (e.g. an ICU) generate a colour.
Possible Scenario - colour change due to data entry error
The only case where the colour should be changed is if the data-collector made a error on data entry. We don't want you to change colour because data becomes available after the initial assessment window.
If you realize you made a data entry error and you have fixed it, you can click the Overstay button again. It will ask you again if this is final, and if you click yes the original entry will be overwritten and the new colour be added to the beginning of the Notes field. This means you may have multiple colours in notes, the first one being the current one.
It is not necessary to document when a colour changes. Just change the colour.
Possible Scenario - Patient died/discharged before data collection
Enter anyway and generate colour. Do not contact Unit Manager.
Possible Scenario - EMIP patient that never made it to the ward
Enter anyway and generate colour. Do not contact Unit Manager.
Possible Scenario - Off ward patients
Almost all of these will be #Possible Scenario - Patient transferred from other ward - admit ward was participating ward, so use those collection instructions. It will be the responsibility of that manager to notify the next manager.
For the rare patient admitted to an off-ward location without hitting one of our regular wards first, generate a colour and put it on the chart, but don't worry about contacting a manager. This was discussed as a special case not worth following up on. It Is OK.
Start/Stop/Site participation
see Overstay Project Start Stop dates
Clarification of difference to previous process
The following documentation is relevant to pre-empt questions only until the transition to the new process is complete.
even at STB
For a while STB medicine collectors stopped putting red dots on the charts. They will now be required to put dots on the charts again. We discussed only notifying the manager by email with the requestor of the project, but they really want the dots. One thing we considered was the possibility of putting something equivalent to the red dot onto Medworxx. I am looking into that.
DPST form - STOP July 31.17
Collectors will no longer:
- collect any information from the DPST forms or be responsible for them (tmp file for the questions will be gone)
- post information in the Transition Coordinator binders or
- notify and assign allied Health.
Collectors can ignore the form and just collect the minimal data set outlined above to generate a colour.
- wards may continue to fill out the DPST form at admission For their own purposes.
Transition Coordinator Binder - Stop July 31.17
Collectors will no longer:
- post any kind of information in the Transition Coordinator binder
- notify and assign reds to allied Health team
Instructions admissions before Jul 30 2017
see Pre-2017-07-30 Overstay Predictor Project Collection Instructions
- All reds generated prior to July 31st are already in our data, just leave them as they were.