New Patient Orientation, Education and Communication

It is the goal of the Practice to orient, educate, and communicate with our patients’ and caregivers on the services available to them. There is a multidisciplinary team approach to provide the patients and caregivers orientation, education and communication throughout the continuum of care. Information includes but not limited to: services, resources, hours of availability, afterhour’s accessibility, treatment, use of our healthcare system and the patient responsibilities.

Procedures

  1. When a new patient appointment is made the Patient Service Representative (PSP) will send an email invitation to the patient who has provided an email address inviting them to enroll on our portal.
  1. Patients are encouraged to complete the registration packet on portal prior to their appointment, read and electronically sign all agreements and documents.
  1. At the first appointment, if portal has not been accessed, the patient is given all the registration forms, and given time to complete the documents. The information is entered into the EMR prior to the patient progressing thru their scheduled visit.
  1. The Clinical Team Leaders or designee will meet with all new patients welcoming them to the practice, answering questions and offering a tour of the center. They will also provide a business card to the patient for their future use as needed.
  1. All patient information is reviewed by the clinical staff and a discussion of the patient’s medical history occurs and finds documented into the EMR.
  1. Advanced care planning is discussed with every new oncology patient regardless of the staging or prognosis. Further information may be obtained through the nurse practitioner interaction with the patient.
  1. A separate appointment is offered to meet with the nurse practitioner to present an explanation of the treatment plan and potential side effects prior to initiating chemotherapy. The patient is given an opportunity to ask question and express concerns. Educational materials are review and provided to the patient or designee.
  1. New patients with a non-oncology diagnosis may be scheduled with the nurse practitioner as requested by the physician or patient.
  1. Patients are give instruction on the process of calls to the practice and the return call process. Urgent calls are processed immediately, non urgent calls are batched; the am calls are returned by 1:00PM and the afternoon calls are returned by the end of day. There is a “buddy system” for the nurses to return calls. Phone calls can be tracked for adherence thru our EMR reporting system.

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  1. If a need is identified by a multidisciplinary team member,the nurse practitioner or appropriate team member should be consulted for intervention.

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