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Medelearn Content
The Medelearn system contains 1000’s of lessons, scenarios and exam questions in “Content Modules” as listed below. Within Modules, lessons are configured into courses according to the customer’s needs. The courses listed within a module below are “defaults” based upon the experience of our users but can be adjusted simply from our on-screen menu. Also, customers may edit/customize each lesson in the library to their own organization. Courses with an * are mandated or assist in complying with a Regulatory requirement (JCAHO, OSHA, CMS, or CDC)
HIPAA BASIC AND ADVANCED COURSES
HIPAA Privacy Basics*
This course familiarizes the student with the legal structure of HIPAA and its corresponding Privacy Regulations. The introductory principals of the Privacy Rule are also explained to the student. Topics include discussions of: who is affected by HIPAA, what is protected, consequences of noncompliance, and the impact of the new regulations on physician practices, hospitals, health plans, and pharmacies.
HIPAA Security Basics*
This course explains the basic principals of security provisions organizations should put into place to protect patient information. Topics include discussions of: file management in a secured environment, technology protections, and other physical protections that ensure security of health care information.
HIPAA Transactions and Code Set Basics*
This course discusses the purpose of the TCS Regulation, what standard transactions are, what standard code set means, and how healthcare practices have changed as a result of the new requirements. Other topics include: premium payment transactions, eligibility of health plan transactions, referral certification and authorization transaction, and claim or encounter information.
Privacy- Patient Rights*
Students learn that patients have rights to access, change, and influence how their protected health information is used and disclosed by health care organizations. Detailed lessons teach students about subjects such as: patient amendments, accounting for disclosures, patient requested restrictions on information, and confidential communication of information.
Privacy- Notice of Privacy Practices*
The student learns when patients receive a notice of privacy, what needs to be included within a notice, how to demonstrate that all patients are given a notice, and what to do when a patient refusing to acknowledge receipt of a notice.
Privacy- Use and Disclosure*
The student learns how to identify protected health information and use or disclose information according to the new privacy requirements. Lessons focus on subjects such as: authorizations, verbal consents, minimum standards, research information, patient restrictions and terminations, disclosures to business associates, de-identification of information, and disclosures required by law.
Privacy Rule Administrative Requirements*
Lessons center of concepts such as: role of compliance officers, establishment of compliance programs, importance of audits, and compliance measures (e.g. training) that must be completed by all organizations.
Privacy- Payment, Billing and Customer Service Principals*
Teaches students how the Privacy Rule affects payment, billing and customer relation activities. Topics include: handling of protected health information for payment purposes, payment definition under the Privacy Rule, new Privacy Rule customer service terminology, and the use of debt collection agencies.
Auditing for HIPAA Compliance*
HIPAA mandates that all covered entities ensure that staff has sufficient training and education to comply with the law as well as the organization’s own policies and procedures concerning privacy and security of protected health information.
HIPAA also requires that organizations establish appropriate administrative, technical and physical safeguards to protect
the privacy of the patient’s health information. This course will discuss methods of monitoring and auditing for HIPAA compliance and provide the student with scenarios for specific HIPAA practices.
HIPAA Enforcement*
The Final Rule on HIPAA Enforcement was published in February of 2006. The Final Rule adopts the complete regulatory structure for implementing the civil money penalty authority of the Administrative Simplification part of HIPAA, completing the structure begun when the Privacy Rule was issued in 2000 and expanded by the interim final procedural enforcement rules issued in 2003. In this course, the student will be provided an overview of this Final Rule.
GENERAL STAFF EDUCATION
Environment of Care
General Safety and Injury Prevention for Healthcare Workers*
In this course, the student reviews basic safety principles, including body mechanics, computer ergonomics, preventing slips and falls, and equipment safety.
Hazardous Materials and Waste Management*
This course will teach the student the safe use and disposal of hazardous materials and waste commonly found in the healthcare environment. The course will discuss the basic elements of the Hazardous Materials and Waste Program, how to identify common hazardous materials found in the healthcare environment, the proper handling and storage of hazardous materials, and emergency procedures to use during hazardous materials and waste spills.
Fire Safety*
This course reviews the basics of life safety, commonly referred to as fire safety. The student will review use of fire extinguishers, the types of fire extinguishers available, what staff members must do to prevent fires as well as the staff member’s roles and responsibilities in the event of a fire. The course also reviews the use of fire drills in healthcare organizations.
Medical Equipment Management*
The JCAHO requires an organizational equipment management program, which includes training staff on the safe use of medical equipment. This course discusses the JCAHO standards for medical equipment management, medical equipment maintenance programs, medical equipment and device failure identification, investigation, and reporting, emergency procedures related to medical equipment, and equipment user requirements.
Utilities and Medical Gas Management*
Sudden and/or sustained loss of utilities could seriously injure, jeopardize treatment of, and possibly result in the death of patients. Because of this, accrediting bodies require a formal plan for maintaining, inspecting and testing these systems. In this course the student will learn the need for identifying, evaluating and taking inventory of equipment included in the Utility Systems Management Program, inspecting, testing and maintaining critical components, the documentation requirements in Utility Systems Management, and the role Utility Systems Management plays in infection control activities.
Security Management*
Every hospital must have a Security Plan in place to meet the JCAHO standards and to safeguard patients, visitors, and staff. This course reviews the requirements of a comprehensive security management program. This includes methods that can be used to protect patients, visitors and staff, reporting and investigating security related incidents, controlling access to and egress from sensitive areas of the hospital, the types of security incidents that are common to these sensitive areas, and how to manage security issues during an emergency/disaster event.
Emergency Management*
The definition of emergency in the JCAHO’s Emergency Management standards is “a natural or manmade event that significantly disrupts the environment of care (damage to the hospital and grounds) that significantly disrupts care, treatment, and services (loss of power, water, etc); or that results in a sudden, significantly changed, or increased demands for the hospital’s services.”
The Emergency Management standards outline the approach a hospital must take to manage these emergencies. This course walks the student through this process, from the hazard vulnerability analysis to the privileging of physicians during a disaster.
Preparing for a Bioterrorism Event*
Biological weapons can be considered the ultimate weapon because they are able to cause mass casualties, are inexpensive and easy to produce, can be disseminated at great distances and can be difficult to detect. With this course, the student will learn to recognize the high-risk signs and scenarios, which may indicate a bioterrorist attack, understand the process for patient management, decontamination procedures, and the expectations of regulatory bodies.
Understanding NIMS*
President Bush directed the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop and administer a National Incident Management System to provide a consistent, nationwide template enabling all government and nongovernmental organizations to work together during domestic incidents. In this course, the student will become familiar with the key concepts and principles of NIMS, the benefits of using the system for domestic incident response, and how it effects HEICS (healthcare emergency incident command system) currently used by healthcare organizations.
Personal Safety
Hazard Communications*
This course reviews the OSHA “right to know” law, also known as the Hazard Communication Standard. This standard covers both physical hazards (such as flammability) and health hazards (irritation, lung damage, cancer, etc.). Most chemicals used in the workplace have some hazard potential and thereby are covered by this standard. This course details the standard and covers MSDS forms, proper labeling and identification of hazardous substances in the workplace and OSHA’s staff training requirements..
Preventing Workplace Violence*
Workplace violence is defined and risk factors and early warning signs are reviewed. This course discusses how to attempt to defuse a potentially dangerous situation, prevention strategies, staff education and workplace analysis.
Sexual Harassment/Harassment in the Workplace*
This course will give the student an understanding of the differences between workplace harassment and sexual harassment in the workplace, how to discourage inappropriate behavior, and appropriate recourse for the victim. The course also discusses the effect workplace harassment can have on the individual and the business, employee education and training, and risk assessments for organizations.
Body Mechanics*
Back strain and back injuries are one of the most common work related injuries in healthcare. The goal of proper body mechanics is to learn how to move the body in a manner that prevents injury to the spine. An awareness of proper principles and common movement mistakes will help staff members avoid self-injury. This course reviews the basic principles of good body mechanics.
Ergonomic Safety in Healthcare*
Ergonomics is the science of fitting the workplace conditions and job demands to the person. Good ergonomic habits help reduce the number and severity of injuries caused by exposure to risk factors in the workplace. This course provides a review of the basics of ergonomic safety, the use of ergonomics to prevent injuries, and good workplace practices.
Electrical Safety*
In this course, the student reviews the basics of electrical safety, including safe use of electrical equipment, proper grounding, cord placement, identification of emergency outlets, and emergency generator testing.
Radiation Safety*
Radiation is a form of energy and occurs naturally as well as from manufactured sources. Small amounts of naturally occurring radioactive materials are found in the air we breathe and the food and water we consume. Eighty percent of a typical individual’s lifetime exposure comes from natural sources and twenty percent from artificial sources, generally medical X-rays.
This course will teach the student how to protect patients and his or herself from undo exposure to radiation, radiation safety guidelines for healthcare organizations, and provide an overview of the history of X-rays and radioactivity.
Lockout/Tagout*
Workers performing service or maintenance on machinery and equipment may be exposed to injuries from the unexpected startup of the machinery or equipment, or release of stored energy in the equipment. To prevent injuries, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) require safety procedures for the control of hazardous energy. This course addresses practices and procedures that are necessary to disable machinery or equipment and to prevent the release of potentially hazardous energy while maintenance and servicing activities are being performed.
Confined Space Entry*
Many workplaces contain spaces that are considered to be "confined" because the configurations hinder the activities of employees who must enter into, work in or exit from them. In many instances, employees who work in confined spaces also face increased risk of exposure to hazardous atmospheric conditions. In this course, the student will review the OSHA safety requirements for working in confined areas.
Compliance and Organizational Ethics
Basics of Corporate Compliance for Hospitals*
In this course, the student learns the basic structure of a Corporate Compliance Program, the laws enforcing the statute, why these laws were enacted, penalties for violations, examples of violations, monitoring and auditing practices, how to establish a Corporate Compliance Program, and a description of the Compliance Officer’s duties.
This course also addresses areas the OIG has found to be of particular concern for hospitals; it is intended to help hospitals identify areas of operations that present a potential risk of liability and to assist in refining an organization’s compliance program.
Ethical Decisions in Healthcare*
Ethics, or doing the right thing, touches almost everything we do in healthcare. We usually consider ethics to mean appropriate decisions in patient care, however, ethics don’t only involve the choices we make with and for our patients but the decisions we make in business as well. In this course, the student will learn the various components of ethics in the healthcare environment.
Understanding EMTALA*
This course teaches the student the current EMTALA requirements for hospitals, how to ensure compliance with EMTALA, and how to monitor compliance through the hospital’s performance improvement activities.
Medical Billing Compliance*
In this course, the student learns the basic structure of a Billing Corporate Compliance Program, penalties for violations, monitoring and auditing practices, specific requirements for teaching hospitals, and “incident to” billing. E/M coding is also demystified for the student.
Compliance and the DRA*
On February 8, 2006, President Bush signed the Deficit Reduction Act of 2007 (DRA). This sweeping legislation affects many aspects of domestic entitlement programs, including both Medicare and Medicaid. In this course, the student will learn about the requirements of the Deficit Reduction Act involving Medicare and Medicaid, their relationship to the False Claims Act, and employee’s rights under the act.
CLINICAL STAFF EDUCATION
Latex Allergy*
Allergy to natural rubber latex has increased rather dramatically in healthcare workers over the last few years, specifically, since the introduction of universal precautions and the increased use of gloves. This increase in exposure to individuals sensitive to latex proteins has produced a requirement for low protein gloves, generally without powder since powder can become aerosolized. This course reviews the cause of latex allergies, assessment of patients to identify the risk of an allergy to latex, and preventative actions for both healthcare workers and patients.
Patient Assessment*
In the current survey process, Assessment, Care and Services is one of the Priority Focus Areas identified as contributing to positive health care outcomes and safe, quality health care.
Patient assessment is used to uncover relevant information to allow healthcare professionals to plan care determined by the patient’s individual needs. The assessment data must be collected, aggregated and interpreted before the plan can be developed and implemented. The student will learn the information that is to be obtained during the initial patient assessment and reassessment; the required times frames, and how to comply with the relevant Joint Commission standards.
Managing Pain*
Optimal pain management is an interdisciplinary process. This course reviews the pain management process, including how to assess pain, pain interventions, patient education, and monitoring the effectiveness of the pain management program.
Intimate Partner Violence: Recognition and Reporting*
This course reviews the basic factors that lead to intimate partner violence, also known as domestic or spousal abuse. The course discusses how to identify an abuse victim, the signs and symptoms of different types of abuse, and healthcare practitioner reporting requirements. The course also discusses the appropriate management of victims of intimate partner violence.
Child Abuse: Recognition and Reporting*
This course will assist healthcare practitioners recognize child maltreatment, identify those children who are at high risk for abuse and/or neglect, and assist in developing strategies for intervening in abuse situations. This course will also review reporting responsibilities of healthcare workers in cases of suspected child abuse.
Elder Abuse: Recognition and Reporting*
This course will familiarize the student with the regulatory requirements for identification, management and reporting of victims of abuse and neglect. This course includes the identification of victims of elder abuse and/or neglect, the reporting responsibilities of healthcare practitioners, and the management of elders suffering from abuse and/or neglect.
Cultural Diversity in Patient Care*
Our country is a multiethnic society where misunderstandings and conflicts can easily occur. Caring for patients from different cultures presents an increasing challenge for healthcare organizations. This course will give the student a basic understanding of how to communicate with patients from different cultural backgrounds and how cultural beliefs influence healthcare.
Providing Age Specific Care*
Different age groups have different physical, cognitive, psychosocial and motor skill abilities. The various levels of abilities and needs determine the types of skills staff must acquire to care for each group. Patients have the right to expect safe, appropriate care. Appropriate care includes care individualized to their age and needs. This course teaches the student the Joint Commission requirements for age specific care, guidelines to follow in delivering age specific care, how various departments are impacted by age specific requirements, and how age specific competencies in staff are verified.
Age Specific Care – Infants
The care of the newborn up to and including infancy can be challenging. The staff working with these small patients must be secure in their knowledge of normal growth and development and ways to assist the child to continue to develop if faced with an illness or hospitalization. This course will review the basics of age specific care in the infant.
Age Specific Care – Children
This course will provide the student with developmental guidelines to deliver the most age appropriate care to the pediatric patient. These guidelines will help adapt care to incorporate “normal” growth and development and to ensure a safe environment for this patient population.
Age Specific Care – Adolescents
This course will provide the student with developmental guidelines to deliver the most age appropriate care to the adolescent patient. These guidelines will help adapt care to incorporate “normal” growth and development and to ensure a safe environment for the adolescent patient.
Age Specific Care – Adults
Patients have the right to expect safe, appropriate care. Appropriate care includes care individualized to the patient’s age and needs. In this course, the student will review the age specific guidelines for the adult patient.
Age Specific Care – Geriatric
The need for “age appropriate” care is most apparent in the pediatric and geriatric populations.
Vital signs, clinical laboratory values, medications, fluids and electrolytes are just a few areas where the geriatric patient differs from other age groups. This course will provide the student with age specific guidelines that will enable clinical staff to deliver the most age appropriate care to the geriatric patient.
Patient Education Standards*
Healthcare education can promote healthy behaviors in patients and assist with the recovery process. Proper patient and family education can also speed the return of the patient’s optimal functioning and allows the patient, and family as appropriate, to be an active participant in his or her care processes. This course reviews the regulatory requirements for patient education and includes teaching patients about their medications, medical equipment, pain management, rehabilitation techniques, and the patient’s nutritional needs.
Medication Management*
The JCAHO has placed increased emphasis on the collaborative processes of medication use and management that can contribute to the occurrence of a medication error. The JCAHO takes a “systems” approach and focuses on patient safety and on key processes of the medication use system including selection, procurement, storage, ordering and transcribing, preparation and dispensing, administration, and monitoring. This course provides a comprehensive look at these processes and how best to comply with the JCAHO medication management standards.
Overview of Organ Donation*
The success rates of transplant surgery have improved remarkably, but growing shortages exist in the supply of organs and tissues available for transplantation. Many Americans who need transplants cannot get them because of these shortages. The result: some of these people die while waiting for that "Gift of Life." This course provides an overview of organ donation services to allow staff to better assist families during this time. In addition, the JCAHO standards for procuring and donating organs and other tissues are discussed.
Patient-Centered Care
Patient-centered care is defined as health care that establishes a partnership among practitioners, patients and their families (when appropriate) to ensure that decisions respect patients’ wants, needs and preferences and solicit patients’ input on the education and support they need to make decisions and participate in their own care. Patient-centered care, also called collaborative self-management, ensures that transitions between providers, departments, and health care settings are respectful, coordinated, and efficient. In this course, the student will explore ways to implement these strategies in their own organizations.
PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT
Basic Principles of Performance Improvement*
Performance improvement in the healthcare environment focuses on assuring that a healthcare organization designs processes well and systematically monitors, analyzes and improves its performance to improve patient outcomes. In this course, the student will learn key elements of a performance improvement program, why performance improvement activities are important in the healthcare arena, what performance improvement responsibilities may be expected of staff members, and how an organization’s performance activities affect the quality of care and service it provides.
Basic Principles of Team Training*
Inconsistent and ineffective interdisciplinary communication is the most common contributing factor to errors, sentinel events, and near misses. Well-functioning work teams are critical to a healthcare organization's success. Improving quality, increasing productivity and solving problems require that a diverse group of people share a common sense of purpose and function cohesively as a team. This course reviews the different types of teams, the team building process, team dynamics, and the key components of team training.
The Basics of Failure Mode and Effects Analysis*
Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA), is a method used to evaluate every step in a process to identify potential problems before they occur. This is not to say that a process cannot be analyzed after an event occurs, however, the goal is to eliminate or reduce the need for corrective action proactively. In this course, the student will learn how to utilize this technique to perform a proactive risk assessment on selected high-risk processes, understand the steps in the FMEA process, and appropriately address the JCAHO’s proactive risk assessment standard.
Root Cause Analysis*
Root Cause Analysis (RCA) is a process used to identify the basic factors causing variation in performance, including the occurrence or possible occurrence (also known as a “near miss”) of a sentinel event. This course will teach the student how to utilize this technique to implement strategies to reduce the risk of unwanted outcomes reoccurring. The student will learn the purpose of performing a Root Cause Analysis, the steps in the RCA process, and be able to address the JCAHO’s requirement for identifying and managing sentinel events using Root Cause Analysis.
Sentinel Event Reporting*
The voluntary reporting of adverse incidents is an important part of the patient safety and organizational performance improvement process. In this course, the student will learn the purpose of reporting adverse incidents, what constitutes a sentinel event, how to report adverse occurrences, how they are used to implement strategies to reduce the risk of unwanted outcomes from reoccurring, and how to address the JCAHO’s requirement for identifying and managing sentinel events.
Performance Appraisal in Healthcare Management*
Staff competency assessment and performance appraisal can be the most difficult aspect of a healthcare manager’s job responsibilities. Competence assessment must allow for a systematic and measurable assessment of a person’s ability to perform required job duties and is a focus of scrutiny from the JCAHO. Competency assessment is so important it has been named by the JCAHO as an area that deserves “detailed inquiry” when organizations analyze sentinel events.
This course will review the Joint Commission standards for competency and performance evaluations from a healthcare manager’s perspective.
Performance Improvement Methodologies
This course will provide the student with the history of performance improvement, a summary of the various quality programs in found in healthcare today, (for example, Six Sigma and Rapid Cycle Improvement) and provide examples of each methodology.
INFECTION CONTROL
Basic Principles of Infection Control*
This course reviews the goals of an infection control program and current terminology. It also reviews standard precautions guidelines and describes up-to-date aspects of infection control, such as hand hygiene using alcohol based hand rubs, Respiratory Hygiene/Cough Etiquette, and Expanded Isolation Precautions. This course teaches the student about sharps injury protection and bloodborne pathogens as well as the role of Employee Health.
Tuberculosis*
In the 1940’s, drugs to treat TB were developed. As a result, TB declined in the United States. However, between 1985 and 1992 the cases of TB increased by 20%, in part due to an increase in multi-drug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In this course, the student will learn the testing techniques, how a diagnosis is made, and treatment options for active and latent TB.
Current Overview of AIDS and HIV
Students will learn the history of AIDS, how a patient is diagnosed, current treatment options, drug therapy, and the various complications that can occur with this disease. This course also discusses pediatric AIDS and patient education.
Hand Hygiene in Healthcare Settings*
There are approximately 90,000 patient deaths per year due to healthcare associated infections (HAI). Healthcare facilities must do more to improve compliance with hand hygiene practices in order to decrease and prevent these infections. It is the responsibility of every member of every healthcare organization to learn and perform good hand hygiene practices every day. This course will provide the student with an overview of when to perform hand hygiene, how to use hand hygiene products correctly, when to use gloves, and the current CDC guidelines for hand hygiene.
Using Personal Protective Equipment*
OSHA regulations require use of personal protective equipment (PPE) in healthcare settings to protect healthcare personnel from exposure to bloodborne pathogens and TB. Decisions regarding when and which type of PPE should be worn is determined by CDC recommendations. This course reviews Standard Precautions and Expanded Isolation Precautions as well as when and how to properly use PPE.
Bloodborne Pathogens*
In recent years, safety precautions, such as handling all blood and body fluids as if infectious, using sharps safety devices, and disposing of sharps properly, have decreased exposures to bloodborne pathogens. However, exposures still occur, often because healthcare workers do not follow these guidelines on a consistent basis. In this course, the student reviews the basics of Standard Precautions, how to prevent sharps injuries and exposure to bloodborne pathogens, and how to comply with the requirements of the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act.
Airborne Infection Isolation
This course will summarize the specifics of airborne isolation techniques, proper PPE, and the organisms/diseases requiring airborne isolation.
Contact Precautions
This course will summarize the specifics of contact precaution techniques, proper PPE, and the organisms/diseases requiring contact precautions.
Droplet Precautions
This course will summarize the specifics of droplet precaution techniques, proper PPE, and the organisms/diseases requiring droplet precautions.
vvUnderstanding MRSA
Students will review the definition of MRSA, signs and symptoms, the difference between colonization and infection, treatment, and infection control specifics for hospital staff.
Understanding RSV
Respiratory Syncytial Virus is a viral infection that usually occurs in epidemics and can be quite serious in young children. This course will summarize signs and symptoms, possible complications, mode of transmission, incubation period, duration, and treatment of RSV.
Understanding SARS
This course will summarize signs and symptoms, possible complications, mode of transmission, incubation period, duration, and treatment of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome.
Understanding VRE
Enterococci are bacteria that are normally present in the human intestines and are often found in the environment. These bacteria can sometimes cause infections. Vancomycin the antibiotic that is often used to treat infections caused by enterococci and in some instances enterococci has become resistant to this drug. The organism is then called vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). This course will familiarize the student with causes, preventative measures, and treatment of VRE.
Understanding C. Difficile
C. difficile is a spore forming bacteria, which can be part of the normal intestinal flora in as many as 50% of children under age two and less frequently in individuals over two years of age. C. difficile is the major cause of pseudomembranous colitis and antibiotic associated diarrhea and the bacteria can easily be spread to others. This course will review the causes, signs and symptoms, prevention, and treatment of C.difficile-associated disease.
Understanding TB
There are several different possible sites of infection with the Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The bacteria usually attack the lungs; however, TB bacteria can attack any part of the body such as the kidney, spine, and brain. In this course, the
student will review the signs and symptoms, possible complications, mode of transmission, incubation period, and infection control specifics for hospital staff.
PATIENT SAFETY
Principles of Patient Safety in Hospitals*
Various surveying and accrediting organizations, including state and federal agencies, all have requirements for patient safety that healthcare organizations must follow. In this course, the student will learn about the organizational culture of safety, patient safety guidelines, the most common causes of medical/healthcare errors, the processes that will lead to the reduction of medical/healthcare errors, and how to provide a safe healthcare environment.
Preventing Slips, Trips, and Falls*
The Joint Commission requires healthcare facilities assess and periodically reassess each patient’s risk for falling, including the potential risk associated with the patient’s medication regimen. Organizations must also address any identified risks of falling. In this course, the student will learn about the danger of patient falls, how to incorporate a falls assessment and prevention program into patient safety activities, and how to meet the JCAHO standards for falls assessment and reduction.
Understanding the 2006 National Patient Safety Goals for Hospitals*
In July of 2003, the JCAHO established the National Patient Safety Goals. These goals were developed to help accredited organizations address specific areas of concern in regard to patient safety. Each patient safety goal has at least one (1) requirement (formerly called a “recommendation”) related to the goal that outlines processes or systems that should be implemented to achieve compliance with that specific safety goal. This course will review each goal relevant to hospitals and offer examples of compliance for each goal requirement.
PATIENT RIGHTS
Advance Directives*
A 1991 federal law, the Patient Self-Determination Act (PSDA), requires that hospitals participating in the Medicare and/or Medicaid programs provide all adult and emancipated minors admitted to the hospital information regarding the patient’s right to formulate advance directives concerning healthcare decisions. In this course, the student will learn the different types of advance directives, the duties of healthcare practitioners and facilities, the duties of surrogate decision makers, what must happen when a practitioner or facility cannot fulfill a patient’s healthcare directive, and the role of advance care planning.
Restraint Use in the Medical Surgical Setting*
Sometimes restraint and seclusion are essential to protect patients from harming themselves, other patients and staff, or to allow necessary treatments or therapies to proceed. Restraint and seclusion use is closely tied to patient safety as well as staff competency; therefore, remain a focus area during Joint Commission and CMS surveys. This course will clarify the Joint Commission standards for restraint use and outline strategies for acute care facilities to use in meeting these JCAHO standards.
Restraint and Seclusion for Behavioral Reasons in Acute Care*
In this course, the student will learn the JCAHO standards for restraint and seclusion for behavior health reasons in the acute care environment. This may include patients receiving medical or surgical care and who begin to exhibit behavioral problems, with or without history, a psychiatric patient receiving medical or surgical services, or a patient in the Emergency Department awaiting transfer to a psychiatric facility.
Restraint and Seclusion in Behavioral Health Care Settings*
Restraint and seclusion are emergency interventions that aim to protect patients in danger of harming themselves or others and enable patients to continue treatment successfully and effectively. Hospitals and other treatment settings must ensure that staffs are well trained and continuously educated regarding the proper use of restraint and seclusion. This course teaches the student how to comply with requirements for restraint and seclusion use in the behavioral health setting.
Patient Rights*
Patients are entitled to fundamental rights that respect and protect their dignity, cultural, psychosocial and spiritual values. In this course, the student will learn the various rights of patients, including involvement in his or her care decisions, the right to refuse care and treatment, obtaining proper informed consents, informing patients of outcomes of care (including unanticipated outcomes), the management of pain, and addressing the wishes of the patient relating to end of life care.
Informed Consent*
The informed consent process allows the patient to participate in decisions about their care, treatment and services, one of the fundamental rights of patients. When a treatment, procedure or intervention is planned for the patient, he or she must have enough information, provided in a way that he or she understands, to allow the patient to make a voluntary, informed choice. The student will learn the basic elements that are required to provide the patient with enough information to consent to, or refuse, a treatment or procedure, key issues to discuss with the patient about his/her planned procedure, and the type of information clinical staff should provide to the patient regarding informed consent.
Care at the End of Life*
Healthcare organizations must ethically and sensitively address the patient’s care needs at the end of life, incorporating the patient’s spiritual and cultural beliefs into their care. This course discusses the special needs of the dying patient and their family, advance directives, the role of hospice and palliative care, and the grieving process.
INFORMATION MANAGEMENT
Unacceptable Abbreviations*
The Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) has published a list of error-prone abbreviations, symbols and dose designations frequently used in healthcare. In addition, the Joint Commission has developed a “minimum” list of unacceptable abbreviations with which healthcare organizations must comply. This course will provide information on complying with the JCAHO requirements, and how this can be incorporated into the organization’s Patient Safety Program.
Basic Principles of Information Management*
Healthcare is highly dependant upon accurate and timely information. The principles of good information management apply to all methods, whether electronic or paper-based, with the ultimate goal of supporting clinical decision-making and improving patient outcomes. In this course, the student will learn these principles in the context of the JCAHO standards.
Medical Record Documentation Guidelines*
Medical record documentation must provide a complete picture of the patient. This course provides a basic orientation to the critical elements of clinical documentation to assist the student in meeting legal, regulatory, and accreditation standards.
SURGICAL SERVICES
Deep & Moderate Sedation*
Anesthesia is generally considered to be part of a surgical or invasive procedure whereby the patient is rendered unconscious and therefore does not feel pain. However, there are various types and levels of anesthesia performed in healthcare facilities and they all carry elements of risk. Moderate sedation is also referred to as “conscious sedation” because the patient can still respond to verbal commands and no interventions are required to maintain a patent airway and spontaneous ventilation is adequate. This course will provide the student with a comprehensive review of medications used in moderate and deep sedation, patient assessment and reassessment requirements, and proper documentation.
Wrong-Site Surgery Prevention & JCAHO Universal Protocol*
The Universal Protocol for Preventing Wrong Site, Wrong Procedure, Wrong Person Surgery was developed by the Joint Commission with the consensus of experts from various specialties. The main principle in the development of the Protocol is that wrong site surgery is 100% preventable. This course describes what is required by the Universal Protocol and what exemptions are allowed.
Fire Safety in the OR*
It is estimated that there are approximately 100 surgical fires a year, resulting in 1 or 2 patient deaths annually. The incidence of surgical fires most likely has decreased over the last 40 years as the use of flammable anesthetics has decreased, however these events are still believed to be significantly under reported. This course will teach the student the common causes of operating room fires and “near misses”, risk reduction strategies for preventing OR fires, and the role of the surgical team in preventing fires in the OR.
Anesthesia Awareness*
It is estimated that 20,000 to 40,000 patients experience anesthesia awareness each year, with over 50% of these patients reporting postoperative mental distress or post-traumatic stress syndrome. This course will discuss the factors which can contribute to the possibility of anesthesia awareness occurring, how the OR staff can monitor for anesthesia awareness, and how to manage the patient after an awareness occurs.
MEDICAL STAFF
Credentialing and Privileging of the Medical Staff*
Perhaps the most important aspect of the medical staff standards is the Credentialing, Privileging, and Appointment section. These standards are written to guide the hospital leaders in selecting only qualified, competent medical staff to care for patients at their hospital. This course discusses how the organized medical staff ensures all licensed independent practitioners are practicing quality medical care, how the hospital may accept additional physicians in a disaster (called disaster privileges), how to credential and privilege physicians practicing by telemedicine, how to handle the sensitive situation when a physician becomes ill, and documentation of continuing education. The course also reviews the fair hearing and appeals process for physicians concerning any adverse decisions taken in regards to reappointment, denial, reduction, suspension, or revocation of privileges that may relate to quality of care, treatment, or service issues.
The Medical Staff Peer Review Process*
This course reviews the various requirements of peer review: the peer review process, including external peer review, examples of criteria triggering the review process, focused reviews, and examples of various actions to take as a result of peer review in the hospital environment.
Understanding the Stark Rules*
In this course, the student will learn about the Stark law, which bars physicians from making referrals to entities in which the physician has a financial relationship. The course will discuss general prohibitions, exceptions to the law, enforcement and penalties.
SURVEY PREPARATION
Tracer Methodology and the Survey Process
The current JCAHO survey process utilizes a method in which surveyors select a patient and use that individual's record as a roadmap to move through an organization to assess and evaluate the organization's compliance with selected standards and the organization's systems of providing care and services. This course will review this methodology in detail, as well as provide an overview of the entire survey process from the initial application to continuous standards compliance.
Conducting a Mock Survey
Conducting a Mock Survey is one of the most important actions a hospital can take in preparation of the JCAHO accreditation survey. With the move towards continuous survey readiness, a mock survey can give organizations valuable information in a secure, non-threatening manner. This course walks the student through the mock survey process from planning and preparation to follow-up post mock survey. In addition, potential surveyor questions are provided for relevant lessons.
Survey Preparation for the General Staff
With the move to continuous survey readiness and unannounced surveys, each staff member in the organization must develop a comfort level with the accreditation process. This course will give the student an overall look at the current JCAHO survey process, including a brief overview of each chapter in the Comprehensive Accreditation Manual for Hospitals, the National Patient Safety Goals and Sentinel Events. A “walk through” of an Individual Tracer is provided as well as suggestions on how staff may best interact with surveyors.
Survey Preparation for the Clinical Staff
This course gives the student an overall look at the current JCAHO survey process from a clinical perspective, including a brief overview of each chapter in the Comprehensive Accreditation Manual for Hospitals, the National Patient Safety Goals, Sentinel Events, Moderate and Deep Sedation, and Restraint and Seclusion Use. A “walk through” of an Individual Tracer is provided as well as suggestions on how staff may best interact with surveyors.
Individual-Based System Tracer: Data Use
The Data Use Individual-Based System Tracer focuses on how data is used in the organization to improve patient care and safety. In some surveys when time is short, the Medication Management and Infection Control Individual-Based System Tracers may be deleted and discussion concerning these topics will take place in the Data Use System Tracer. It is vital to a successful survey that staff understand the how this session is conducted. This course provides a comprehensive overview of the Data Use Individual-Based System Tracer and how staff can prepare for the survey process.
Individual-Based System Tracer: Medication Management
The JCAHO uses a variety of methods to assess a healthcare organization’s medication management processes. One of the primary methods utilized during an accreditation survey is the Medication Management Individual-Based System Tracer. This course will outline how the surveyor conducting the Medication Management System Tracer will explore each of the key medication management processes selection and procurement, storage, ordering and transcribing, preparing and dispensing, administration and monitoring medication effects on patients.
Individual-Based System Tracer: Infection Control
The Infection Control Individual-Based System Tracer will explore the aspects of each organization’s infection control program and how the organization practices infection control, surveillance, prevention and reporting. This course will review each of the Infection Control System Tracer components and give the student a picture of the entire Tracer process.
The JCAHO Competence Assessment Process Session
This Session is a meeting between a surveyor and individuals responsible for Human Resources, staff orientation and training, and individuals responsible for assessing staff competencies. The Session is conducted towards the end of the survey, after several Individual Tracers have taken place. This allows for identification of issues during the Tracers that may want to be explored at this time. This course will prepare the student for this portion of the JCAHO accreditation survey process.
The JCAHO Leadership Session
The Leadership Session is conducted towards the end of the survey. The reason is that there has been enough time to identify issues during the Tracers for surveyors to give Leadership adequate information regarding observations and to discuss opportunities for improvement. The hospital leaders have the ultimate responsibility for patient safety and outcomes of care. It is of utmost importance that they understand the role of hospital leaders in the current JCAHO survey process.
The JCAHO Environment of Care Session and Building Inspection
The Environment of Care Session focuses on the required 7 EC Plans and how they are implemented in the hospital. This course focus is on how these plans are implemented, how the hospital minimizes risks to patients, visitors, and staff, the result of the Hazard Vulnerability Analysis, completion of necessary drills, the Safety Committee function, and performance improvement activities. The student is also familiarized with the building tour, which is devoted entirely to the Life Safety Code requirements.
CMS Survey Preparation
All hospitals that accept Medicare payments must comply with the Medicare Conditions of Participation for hospitals (CoPs). The JCAHO has “deemed” status, which means hospitals that are Joint Commission accredited are eligible for the Medicare program. That does NOT mean, however, that hospitals will not have to go through a survey from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) at some point in time. The CMS conducts random surveys of a percentage of Joint Commission accredited hospitals every year as well as follow-up surveys for complaints or poor JCAHO survey results. This course will review the types of CMS surveys, briefly review the focus of the CoPs and familiarize the student with the CMS survey process.
OSHA Compliance in Healthcare*
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have over 35 healthcare-specific standards. In this course, the student will review the various requirements and learn how best to comply with these difficult standards.
PATIENT EDUCATION
Childhood Obesity
This course offers students detailed information about the diagnosis and treatment of Childhood Obesity. Lessons teach parents how to help children control weight and live healthy lifestyles. Lessons include changing habits, physical exams, improving eating habits, eating out, and physical activity
ADHD
This course provides information on the diagnosis and treatment of Attention Deficient Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD). Lessons include definitions, symptoms, causes, myths, education plans, medication management, and improving school performance.
Advance Care Planning – A Guide for Patients*
In this course, the student will learn the purpose of advance care planning, the different types of advance directives, the duties of healthcare practitioners and facilities, how to choose a surrogate decision maker, and what must happen when a practitioner or facility cannot fulfill a patient’s healthcare directive. This course includes scenarios depicting real life situations giving the student a practical look at the benefits of advance care planning.
Patient Safety – A Guide for Patients*
Medical and surgical advancements have taken a giant leap forward in the last few decades. The good news is we now have treatments for diseases and injuries that were never before possible. The bad news is the more complex healthcare becomes the more chance for error. This course gives an overview of safety issues patients must be aware of and empowers the student to become more involved in his or her own healthcare.
Patient Safety – A Guide for Parents*
Parents want to keep their children safe and protected, especially when they are ill and/or hospitalized. The best way for parents to keep their children safe is to become well informed about hospital stays, medication usage and safety issues in healthcare. This course will help parents take a pro-active role in their child’s care.
MEDICAL OFFICES
Basic Principles of Corporate Compliance for Medical Groups
In this course, the student learns the basic structure of a Corporate Compliance Program, the laws that enforce the statute, why these laws were enacted, penalties for violations, and examples of violations. The course also covers monitoring and auditing practices, how to establish a Corporate Compliance Program, and a description of Compliance Officer duties.
Physician Peer Review Process for Medical Groups
This course reviews the various requirements of peer review: the peer review process, including external peer review for Medicare beneficiaries, examples of criteria triggering the review process, and examples of various actions to take as a result of peer review in the medical group/managed care environment.
Basic Principles of Patient Safety in Medical Groups
Various surveying and accrediting organizations, including state and federal agencies, all have requirements for patient safety that healthcare organizations must follow. In this course, the student will learn patient safety guidelines, the most common causes of medical/healthcare errors, and the processes that will lead to the reduction of medical/healthcare errors in the medical group/managed care environment.
General Safety for the Medical Office
In this course, the student reviews basic safety principles, including body mechanics, computer ergonomics, preventing slips and falls, and equipment safety in the medical office.
Hazardous Materials and Waste in Medical Offices
This course will teach the student the safe use and disposal of hazardous materials and waste commonly found in the medical office environment. The course will discuss the basic elements of the Hazardous Materials and Waste Program, how to identify common hazardous materials found in the medical office environment, the proper handling and storage of hazardous materials, and emergency procedures to use during hazardous materials and waste spills.
Fire Safety in Medical Offices
This course reviews the basics of life safety, commonly referred to as fire safety. The student will review use of fire extinguishers, the types of fire extinguishers available, what staff members must do to prevent fires as well as the staff member’s roles and responsibilities in the event of a fire.
Hazard Communications in Medical Offices
This course reviews the OSHA “right to know” law, also known as the Hazard Communication Standard. This standard covers both physical hazards (such as flammability) and health hazards (irritation, lung damage, cancer, etc.). This course details the standard and covers MSDS forms, proper labeling and identification of hazardous substances in the medical office, and OSHA’s staff training requirements.
Preventing Workplace Violence in the Medical Office
Workplace violence is defined and risk factors and early warning signs are reviewed. This course discusses how to attempt to defuse a potentially dangerous situation, prevention strategies, staff education and workplace analysis in the medical office environment.
Sexual Harassment in the Medical Office Environment
This course will discuss sexual harassment in the workplace, how to discourage inappropriate behavior, and appropriate recourse for the victim. The course also discusses the effect workplace harassment can have on the individual and the business, and employee education and training.
Body Mechanics for Medical Offices
Back strain and back injuries are one of the most common work related injuries in healthcare. The goal of proper body mechanics is to learn how to move the body in a manner that prevents injury to the spine. An awareness of proper principles and common movement mistakes will help staff members avoid self-injury. This course reviews the basic principles of good body mechanics.
Corporate Compliance for Medical Offices
In this course, the student learns the basic structure of a Corporate Compliance Program, the laws that enforce the statute, why these laws were enacted, penalties for violations, and examples of violations. The course also covers monitoring and auditing practices, how to establish a Corporate Compliance Program in the medical office, and a description of the Compliance Officer’s duties.
Latex Allergies in Healthcarev
Allergy to natural rubber latex has increased rather dramatically in healthcare workers over the last few years, specifically, since the introduction of universal precautions and the increased use of gloves. This increase in exposure to individuals sensitive to latex proteins has produced a requirement for low protein gloves, generally without powder since powder can become aerosolized. This course reviews the cause of latex allergies, assessment of patients to identify the risk of an allergy to latex, and preventative actions for both healthcare workers and patients in the medical office.
Recognizing Intimate Partner Violence in the Office Setting
This course reviews the basic factors that lead to intimate partner violence, also known as domestic or spousal abuse. The course discusses how to identify an abuse victim, the signs and symptoms of different types of abuse, and healthcare practitioner reporting requirements. The course also discusses the appropriate management of victims of intimate partner violence in the medical office setting.
Child Abuse: Recognition and Reporting in the Office Setting
This course will assist healthcare practitioners recognize child maltreatment, identify those children who are at high risk for abuse and/or neglect, and assist in developing strategies for intervening in abuse situations. This course will also review reporting responsibilities of healthcare workers in cases of suspected child abuse.
Elder Abuse: Recognition and Reporting in the Office Setting
This course will familiarize the student with the regulatory requirements for identification, management and reporting of victims of abuse and neglect. This course includes the identification of victims of elder abuse and/or neglect, the reporting responsibilities of healthcare practitioners, and the management of elders suffering from abuse and/or neglect in the medical office setting.
Infection Control in the Medical Office
This course reviews the goals of an infection control program and current terminology. It also reviews standard precautions guidelines and describes up-to-date aspects of infection control, such as hand hygiene using alcohol based hand rubs, and Respiratory Hygiene/Cough Etiquette.
Cultural Diversity in the Outpatient Setting
Caring for patients from different cultures presents an increasing challenge for medical offices. This course will give the student a basic understanding of how to communicate with patients from different cultural backgrounds and how cultural beliefs influence healthcare.
Tuberculosis: Current Outpatient Treatment
In the 1940’s, drugs to treat TB were developed. As a result, TB declined in the United States. However, between 1985 and 1992 the cases of TB increased by 20%, in part due to an increase in multidrug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In this course, the student will learn the testing techniques, how a diagnosis is made, and treatment options for active and latent TB.
Understanding Bloodborne Pathogens in Medical Offices
In recent years, safety precautions, such as handling all blood and body fluids as if infectious, using sharps safety devices, and disposing of sharps properly, have decreased exposures to bloodborne pathogens. However, exposures still occur, often because healthcare workers do not follow these guidelines on a consistent basis. In this course, the student reviews the basics of Standard Precautions, how to prevent sharps injuries and exposure to bloodborne pathogens, and how to comply with the requirements of the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act.
Understanding HIPAA in the Medical Office
HIPAA mandates that all covered entities ensure that staff has sufficient training and education to comply with the law as well as the organization’s own policies and procedures concerning privacy and security of protected health information. HIPAA also requires that organizations establish appropriate administrative, technical and physical safeguards to protect the privacy of the patient’s health information. This course will review HIPAA in the medical office environment.
Medical Record Documentation in Medical Offices
Medical record documentation must provide a complete picture of the patient. This course provides a basic orientation of clinical documentation standards in the medical office.
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