Policy Manual sample

MDT Home Health Care Agency, Inc. 158 PAIN MANAGEMENT PURPOSE: • To provide patients receiving care, treatment and/or services from MDT Home Health Care Agency, Inc. 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 MDT Home Health Care Agency, Inc. • 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 process about his/her care, treatment and/or services. POLICY: • MDT Home Health Care Agency, Inc. 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 MDT Home Health Care Agency, Inc. 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. • MDT Home Health Care Agency, Inc. 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. • MDT Home Health Care Agency, Inc. staff, including contracted personnel, are instructed in pain and 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